Nearly half of online shoppers in Asia are dissatisfied with the experience, according to the latest UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper study.
With negativity from 43 per cent of Asian shoppers surveyed, they again emerged the least satisfied of shoppers internationally. The rate of 57 per cent satisfaction was actually an improvement on 2015, but of only 11 points, demonstrating the slow pace of change in addressing customer satisfaction, says the study.
It notes that free shipping is still critical as online shoppers in Asia pay for shipping on an average of only 15 per cent of orders, the lowest percentage globally. To qualify for free shipping, 46 per cent of shoppers have added items to their cart. Moreover, about half of Asia online shoppers have abandoned a cart because of no delivery date being stipulated or delivery time being too long. The average delivery wait leading to cart abandonment was 11 days.
Meanwhile, a convenient and transparent return policy increases sales and customer satisfaction, with 67 per cent of shoppers in Asia indicating that free shipping on returns is important.
In its sixth year, the study reveals enduring constants as well as emerging trends across China, Hong Kong and Japan. Two key categories are Movers and Emergers.
Movers: Consumers in Asia have become increasingly comfortable with shopping on smartphones, choosing ship-to-store, and buying from international retailers and small businesses. In fact, smartphone purchases are becoming the norm with 77 per cent of shoppers surveyed having placed orders by phone – the highest percentage globally – up from 55 per cent in 2015. This compares with only 48 per cent in the US.
Ship-to-store is growing in popularity (with 37 per cent of shoppers using it in the past year and 59 per cent planning to use it even more this year). It can be a lucrative offering for retailers, says the report, as 60 per cent of Asia shoppers who used ship-to-store in the past year made extra purchases while in store. This trend is even stronger in China at 74 per cent.
“One revealing finding is that Asia’s online shoppers are now buying from a more diverse set of retailers, ranging from major marketplaces to boutique shops, from domestic and foreign stores,” says UPS Asia Pacific VP of marketing Sylvie Van den Kerkhof. “This tells us is there is a viable opportunity and customer base for small businesses in Asia to expand internationally.”
Promisingly, the research found that 55 per cent of online shoppers in Asia are embracing international retailers. Among those, 49 per cent ventured to overseas retailers because the brand or product was not available domestically, or the quality (39 per cent) or price (38 per cent) was better internationally.
Hong Kong had most online shoppers buying internationally at 82 per cent, followed by China at 64 per cent. Meanwhile, only 21 per cent of Japanese shoppers did so.