One in Ten Christmas Shoppers Deterred by Online Delivery

WORCESTER, England, November 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Postcode Anywhere Study Suggests Delivery Issues are A Major Deterrent for Shoppers This Christmas

Almost one in ten people have been put off online shopping this year because of previous problems with delivery, according to research from online address validation specialist Postcode Anywhere.

The survey, which polled 1,000 UK consumers, found that 9% had been put off any festive purchases this year because of past difficulties. At 27%, over a quarter of all those polled had encountered a problem with online Christmas deliveries in the past.

Conversely, over half of respondents had never experienced a problem, which 30% of respondents attributed to placing orders early.

"Too many orders putting strain on the network"

When asked to identify their two top reasons for delivery problems, 54% of consumers named "too many orders putting a strain on the network".  This was closely followed by adverse weather (52%), not allowing enough time for delivery (36%), low stock levels (26%) and typing in incorrect address details (8%).

Postcode Anywhere's sales and marketing director Phil Rothwell said: "The Christmas rush is a double-edge sword for any online business. For many it's the most important time of the year - get it right and you can significantly improve sales. Get it wrong, and your reputation can end up going down the toilet. It's easy to focus on driving website traffic and forget that it's still paramount to deliver the products quickly, economically and accurately.

"People may be more comfortable now than they have ever been with the idea of ordering online. But what this study shows is that retailers can't take anything for granted - bad experiences can cause opinions and behaviours to change.

"Unfortunately, many online businesses still have relatively poor website technology and inadequate delivery capabilities. This doesn't just hold back potential profit margins for individual businesses - it damages the ecommerce industry as a whole.

"Make sure you're capturing address details correctly in the first place"

"It's important for ecommerce owners this year to promise only what they can realistically deliver. That means keeping right on top of stock levels, and ensuring the customer-facing website reflects what's happening in the warehouse or stock room. It also demands some knowledge of what's going on at the end of the fulfilment chain. If you know you're not going to be able to make 100 deliveries in a day then don't advertise that you can.

"As well as limiting expectations, online businesses need to work harder. Providing consumers with timed delivery slots, for instance, is just one of many ways retailers can help avoid these hassles. We released news earlier this year that showed that nearly two-thirds of consumers see delivery windows as important, so it's clearly going to be a concern at Christmas.

"What this survey reflects is that while the logistical damage of last December's weather may have been repaired, the emotional wounds it caused to those affected are yet to fully heal. This year, the industry needs to come good, whatever the circumstances."

Further information

For further information about Postcode Anywhere's UK, European and US address validation and auto-fill tools, visit the website at http://www.postcodeanywhere.com.

For more information about Postcode Anywhere's smart online delivery planning software, Route Optimiser, or to take a free trial, visit the website at http://www.routeoptimiser.com.

Notes for editors

About Postcode Anywhere

Postcode Anywhere supplies software and services which improve the day-to-day operations of over 8,000 organisations worldwide. Best known as a provider of address auto-fill and verification software, the company offers a range of data-driven services, including route planning, customer profiling and bank account validation. It is now the fastest-growing reseller of Royal Mail's Postcode Address File (PAF®) and the market leader for online address auto-fill. A multi-award-winning organisation, it has also appeared in Deloitte's European fast-growth technology company list for three years running. For more information about Postcode Anywhere, please visit http://www.postcodeanywhere.com.

Recent Awards and Recognition for Postcode Anywhere

• Deloitte Technology Fast 500 EMEA 2008/9, 2009/10 & 2010/11
• Red Herring Top 100 Europe - 2010
• Best Small IT Supplier of the Year - UK IT Industry Awards (finalist) - 2009
• Dell Small Business Excellence Award (UK finalist) - 2009
• Small-Medium Sized Business of the Year (regional finalist) - National Business Awards 2009
• Orange Best Use of Technology (Midlands) - 2008 National Business Awards
• Growth Business of the Year - Chamber Awards 2008
• Small Business of the Year - Chamber Awards 2008
• Customer Service Team of the Year (finalist) - National Customer Services Awards 2008

Media contact for Postcode Anywhere
Jim Williams - PR Manager
jim@postcodeanywhere.com
+44-(0)1905-888-562
Press centre at: http://www.postcodeanywhere.com/press