Author

Nell Walker

Published

29 July 2025

Estimated Read time

4Mins

A survey reveals that specific delivery slots and real-time tracking are now consumer expectations, with many willing to pay for predictability.

A shift is underway in e-commerce delivery expectations with new research confirming a clear trend: consumers no longer tolerate uncertainty. Four-in-ten (40%) consumers now demand non-food home deliveries to arrive within a specific time slot. This is typically a two to three-hour window. This expectation climbs higher in key markets, reaching 44% in the UK and 43% in the US. The findings signal a clear power shift towards consumers seeking unprecedented control and transparency in their online shopping experience, forcing retailers and parcel carriers to adapt or risk falling behind.

The research, commissioned by Avery Dennison, a global materials science and digital identification solutions company, surveyed 5,000 consumers across the US, UK, France, and Germany. Findings from the survey — one of the largest of its kind — underscore a growing demand not only for on-time deliveries, but also for precise control over when, and how, parcels arrive.

A shift toward greater control

Although consumers today are more sensitive to cost than ever, six-in-ten (61%) shoppers are willing to pay a premium for more detailed insight into order tracking.

When asked what would justify payment for a premium delivery service (and invited to select ‘all that apply’), 47% stated faster delivery, making this the top overall choice, followed by 31% who said ‘accurate estimated delivery times.’

The survey also reveals that tracking expectations vary depending on the type of purchase. For example, 60% of respondents say parcel tracking is ‘very important’ when ordering electronics, 43% for fashion, and 38% for health and beauty.

Personal convenience is at stake. When asked to select up to three main benefits, the top reasons respondents gave for wanting enhanced tracking are:

  • Flexibility to leave the house without missing deliveries (54%)
  • Peace of mind knowing where the parcel is (54%)
  • Ensuring timely arrivals for special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries (44%)

To meet these exacting consumer demands, retailers and their logistics partners must act now or be left behind.  Technology can assist in the drive to provide enhanced real-time visibility in the parcel delivery process.

Opportunity for elevated consumer satisfaction

For international e-commerce, real-time tracking has become even more critical as recent tariff changes disrupt cross-border shipping, causing extended delays and price increases.

Yet at the same time, cost remains a factor. According to McKinsey, 90% of consumers are willing to wait an extra two to three days if it means avoiding high shipping fees, highlighting a growing preference for flexible delivery options that balance speed with affordability.

“The message from consumers is loud and clear: they expect precision and control over their deliveries,” says Julie Vargas, Vice President and General Manager of Identification Solutions at Avery Dennison. “Customers may tolerate delays — but only if they’re kept in the loop. Real-time visibility shouldn’t be considered a luxury anymore; it’s the price of staying competitive. Retailers and carriers who embrace transparency will not only ease frustrations around shipping delays and rising costs, they’ll earn lasting customer trust in a tough logistics climate.”

Vargas adds: “There is a natural eagerness from retailers and carriers to cut down on expensive WISMO (where is my order) inquiries and manage costs more effectively. They recognise the benefits of providing self-service parcel tracking apps and tools powered by GPS and RFID technology, which ultimately help keep shipping rates affordable. Offering real-time updates on a package’s whereabouts is now a key foundation of this trust.”

Winning the parcel shipping game

Avery Dennison’s research also reveals that consumers find current tracking systems unreliable and insufficient. The most-cited frustrations are inaccurate notifications, inability to change delivery time or location, and premature ‘delivered’ status updates. Deploying intelligent labels at package-level helps vendors and distributors overcome these shortfalls in service.

Vargas concludes: “As the research highlights, to remain competitive in today’s e-commerce landscape, retailers and carriers must prioritise transparency and innovation in their delivery process. With almost two-thirds of shoppers willing to pay more for tracking and notifications, leveraging advanced technologies and offering real-time visibility is crucial. The pressure is very much on to address consumer needs, and turn frustrations into trust.”

Download The Consumer Verdict whitepaper here.

  • People & Culture

Author

Andrew Woods

Published

24 April 2020

Estimated Read time

5Mins

Ecommerce sales increased at their highest rate since late February, shooting up 25% during the week that ended April 20, according to Signifyd’s Ecommerce Pulse data on the rapidly changing retail trends during the global Coronavirus pandemic.

The jump far surpassed the previous record of 17% recorded the week ending April 6. It also contributed to an 85% increase in ecommerce spending overall since late February. Signifyd is a global leader in ecommerce fraud prevention technology (company info below).

Below are key trends & data from this week’s Pulse report (14th-20th April):

Auto, Parts and tyres:

Up 56% for the week, building on a positive run that started more modestly at the end of March. The category is now up 90% for the entire Ecommerce Pulse period, which started Feb. 25.

Commodities & Collectibles:

Saw one of the largest weekly increases early on, was again a high-demand category with sales up 61%.

Fashion, Apparel & Luggage:

 a category that had been more battered than benefited by the shift in consumer spending was up 38%.

Electronics:

experienced some much-needed relief, with revenue up 38% for the week, a far better showing than early weeks of double-digit losses, followed by gains in the low single digits.

Consumer Medical Supplies & Supplements: 

Consumers returned after four weeks where the category’s change in sales ranged from a low of declining by 18% to a high of being up just 8 percent.

Consumer packaged goods: 

Including toilet paper, paper towels and cleaning supplies — was up 13% after four straight down weeks, including a 21% drop in late March.

Leisure & Outdoor: 

Which includes games, toys, puzzles and indoor exercise equipment, is up 141% for the period.

For more statistics, graphics & insights, see here: COVID-19 Weekly Pulse Report for Ecommerce.

Author

Kevin Davies

Published

23 May 2019

Estimated Read time

5Mins

More than three quarters (81%) of B2B organisations are witnessing a decrease in profits due to online order errors, causing…

More than three quarters (81%) of B2B organisations are witnessing a decrease in profits due to online order errors, causing significant repercussions on wider business growth, according to new research out today. 84% of businesses have witnessed a decrease in efficiency due to order errors, while 81% saw a drop in productivity and a further 81% saw a decrease in profitability. The survey of 560 global B2B buying professionals found that 44% of organisations have witnessed a decrease of more than 11% in sales, productivity, efficiency or profitability due to errors during the purchasing process. Some are seeing a decrease in excess of 25%.

The majority of B2B buyers place orders weekly, often daily, which means the opportunity for errors to occur is high. 44% of individuals experience errors with online orders at least once a fortnight, while a fifth encounter issues weekly and 9% experience issues on a daily basis. With the majority of B2B buyers preferring to buy online (75%) it’s critical that e-commerce platforms can reflect current and accurate sales information, such as pricing, shipping and stock as a way to help reduce errors.

The research found that user entry was the top reason for problems occurring during the online buying process. 28% however, felt that incorrect product information is causing errors while 28% said it was incorrect purchase entry. Other reasons for errors include incorrect inventory display (27%), incorrect shipping information (25%) and incorrect pricing information (23%).

Online order errors appear to be most frequent in Benelux with 55% of buyers experiencing problems at least once a fortnight and 25% on a weekly basis. 48% of businesses based in Germany, Austria and Switzerland also experience errors once a fortnight and nearly half (46%) of British or Irish businesses face the same problem. Yet order errors in the US and Canada appears to be less frequent, with the majority (51%) witnessing order errors at least monthly.

B2B buyers purchasing automotive parts appear to be the most susceptible to errors when making purchases online, as 54% experience problems at least once a fortnight. This is closely followed by those purchasing building materials (53%) and food & beverage products (52%).

Michiel Schipperus, CEO and Managing Partner at Sana Commerce comments: “B2B organisations have embraced e-commerce as a route to market and as a way to remain competitive and reach new markets. But our research highlights the need for e-commerce platforms to deliver accuracy across all buying channels. Ensuring that the e-commerce system is integrated into the organisation’s ERP platform to provide a single source of truth at the point of purchase goes a long way to ensuring that customers have the correct information needed to make an informed purchase decision and reduce order errors.”  

The survey of B2B organisations in Europe and the US was undertaken by independent market research company Sapio on behalf on Sana Commerce. The survey sample covered food and beverage, electronics, building materials, medical supplies and automotive parts. For more insights download the report here.