While half of U.S. online consumers say they shop online to find the best value during the holiday shopping season, more than three-quarters of online consumers say free shipping makes them more likely to buy from any particular online merchant, Forrester Research Inc. says in the report “Outlook for U.S. Online Holiday Sales, 2008.”
The report, authored by Forrester Research principal retail analyst Sucharita Mulpuru with analysts Carrie Johnson and Peter Hult, also notes that shipping can be a detriment to online shopping. 58% of consumers say shipping prices often deter them from buying online, and 55% complain it’s a hassle to return items ordered online.
The study also provides a look into consumers’ expectations of shipping policies, and how well online retailers delivered during the holiday shopping season last year. It notes that 24% of survey respondents said they experienced late holiday deliveries last year, and that the largest group of respondents, or 67%, expect standard shipping to deliver within 3-5 days. 27% expect standard shipping to deliver within 6-7 days; 3% within two days. 1% of consumers expect standard shipping to deliver the day after placing an order, but another 1% expect delivery within 10 days.
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