The State Of Shipping In Commerce

The primary objective of this report is to map out the various factors affecting the online retail sector in the United States, with qualitative data mined from a nationwide survey conducted in February 2017. Shipping and fulfillment impacts commerce in a significant manner, affecting profit margin and revenue, operational efficiencies, brand and customer experience. Our hypothesis is that retailers’ current shipping practices prevent them from realizing the full potential of their business. These practices add unnecessary friction to the buyer journey, and are often misaligned with today’s sophisticated, tech-savvy online shopper who seek a seamless, almost intuitive experience. To prove this, we started tracking the habits, practices, performance and sentiment of online shoppers and retailers annually with the aim to measure the gap between retailer capability and consumer expectations.

Methodology: Temando commissioned Research Now to conduct a survey targeting US-based online shoppers and retailers across a variety of categories in February 2017. In total, we received responses from a sample size of 1292 online shoppers and 270 retailers. This data is compared against data gathered for the 2016 State of Shipping in Commerce report where possible, with patterns and differences outlined. Based on these findings, we predict a pattern of outcomes based on the theoretical propositions we come across in the data analysis process.