A study conducted by Walker Sands Future of Retail conducted a survey that asked questions about what motivates people to make purchases online. While there were many options, 9 out of 10 respondents said that free shipping is the incentive that brings them to online stores most often. The survey was sent to 1400 US consumers.
Other incentives that helped get people to make purchases online included one-day delivery (69%) and free returns and exchanges (68%). Giving customers these types of incentives may raise the total expenses of the online stores, but the increased sales can more than make up for it. In addition, some retailers have even found that they can raise their prices slightly to offset these added expenses.
In addition to looking at the incentives for shopping, the survey also gathered information about how often people are shopping online. 31% reported that they shopped online at least once per week, and the total number of people shopping online is up 41% compared to another survey conducted in 2014.
The survey also asked users if they would consider using drones for faster delivery in the future, and 79% said they would choose that delivery option if it allowed them to get purchases within an hour of ordering. In fact, 73% said they would pay up to a $10 delivery fee to get one-hour delivery via drone.
Another area where this survey seems to indicate future growth is with groceries. While there are some online grocery options available today, they aren’t currently very popular. 92% of respondents said they prefer shopping in-store for food and groceries. 68%, however, said that they would be willing to shop for these items on Amazon or a similar service if it were available in their area.
You can get the full report HERE.
