Delivery on demand

I know I may have mentioned this before, but over the last few months I have completely transformed my personal shopping habits. Going into a physical store has become a thing of the past, and instead I now do all my shopping online - everything from groceries to business equipment. I am a complete convert! But like so many digital consumers, I want my purchases delivered quickly - it’s that feeling of instant gratification, when you see a product you need, and you want to receive and enjoy it immediately. So I now judge my personal customer experience not just on the quality of the product I buy, but on how quickly I can get it delivered. It seems I am not alone. According to the Retail Touch Points survey, 88% of online shoppers are wiling to pay a premium for same-day or faster delivery services. Even with free shipping, consumer expectations have changed. RetailWire suggests that the average maximum time that shoppers are willing to wait for an item to be delivered in exchange for free shipping is now 4.1 days. Large e-commerce retailers like Amazon offer many different shipping options to meet consumer needs. There are lessons for all of us, as women entrepreneurs who operate in the digital commerce environment, to learn from this data. Faster and more efficient delivery times matter, and it’s all part of ensuring the best customer experience.

Have yourself an inspired entrepreneurial day! — Melanie