Online retailers provide delivery options shoppers don't want - and don't offer the ones they do.
That is the conclusion of new research from software company OrderDynamics and Opinion Matters. From next-day delivery to in-store stock visibility, OrderDynamics reveals that retailers are disappointing consumers with a mismatch of the services they offer and the services customers expect.

The research found that 54% of online shoppers want a named delivery date, but only 15% of retailers currently offer it. It is the most desired delivery option by customers, yet is one of the least likely to be offered.

By contrast, 61% of retailers offer next-day delivery (the second most common delivery option after standard delivery) but only 10% of shoppers are willing to pay extra for the service, which on average costs £6. Instead, 45% would prefer to see which nearest store has a product in stock, an option that only 11% of retailers provide.

Retailers have struck the balance in one area however: 32% of consumers reported they would use a click-and-collect service if it was available, and half of online retailers provide this facility.

"This study reinforces a point that I talk with retailers about every day: customers do not see channels," commented Kevin Sterneckert, cmo of OrderDynamics. "They have one relationship with and one view of the retailer, and they want to hear you say 'yes' to their desires and to deliver that experience now.

"Consumers are telling us that the industry is not yet living up to the promises we're making. It will take a holistic view of data across the enterprise and across channels, and a fully-integrated approach to retail, to begin living up to customers' demands.

"This critical view of the 'any channel' enterprise will make the difference between offering a service which is expensive to run and disappoints customers and a profitable experience that keeps customers coming back to you again and again."