What makes Swiss online shoppers tick
Free shipping as a purchase criterion
For 80 percent of consumers, free shipping is an important criterion when buying online. Half of the store operators surveyed already comply with this customer request and offer free shipping. The situation is somewhat different for free returns: 77 percent of customers would like this service, but only a quarter of the online retailers surveyed offer it.
Popular marketplaces
Virtual marketplaces - i.e. platforms on which various retailers offer their products - are popular with consumers and are used accordingly: ricardo.ch (82 percent), Amazon (77 percent), Zalando (65 percent), Galaxus (63 percent) or eBay (54 percent). The online retailer survey reveals that only 38 percent of Swiss online retailers use virtual marketplaces to sell their products. Giving up margins and protecting their own online store are reasons not to sell on virtual marketplaces.
Invoice and credit card payment preferred
The two surveys also show which needs of the consumers surveyed are met: When it comes to payment, online shoppers prefer to use tried-and-tested methods such as invoice or credit card payment (77 and 73 percent respectively). On the merchant side, these are the most frequently offered payment options, with 81 and 76 percent respectively.
Omnichannel has arrived in Switzerland
Today, retailers need to be present on various sales channels, both online and offline. Most Swiss online retailers offer their customers a shopping experience via various channels, from ordering by e-mail to making a selection in the print catalog. One wish of the clientele has thus been fulfilled. And although 82 percent of those surveyed want to store around the clock, personal advice in the store is still important for half of consumers.
