Pandemic boosts e-shopping in Switzerland
The number of e-shoppers in Switzerland has continued to rise over the past two years: significantly more purchases are being made online than before the pandemic, a study by DPDgroup shows.
A representative study by DPDgroup shows that 15.6 percent of Swiss purchases are now made online. In the meantime, 90 percent of all Swiss e-shoppers regularly shop online, 53 percent buy online every month and receive an average of 4.8 parcels per month.
82 percent have ordered goods delivered to their home, while 9 percent each pick up the package from a parcel service provider, a post office or a retailer.
Overall, the delivery process has become more difficult in the perception of regular e-shoppers. Only 68 percent of them said their last order was easy compared to 2019 (79 percent). The European average is 75 percent.
Many e-shoppers now also have heavy furniture or medicines delivered, which was less the case before. Satisfaction with delivery has decreased compared to 2019.
The following day expects
It is confirmed once again: The Swiss population wants ordered goods to be delivered directly to their homes. It also shows that delivery on the following day is enormously important. Over 98 percent of parcels delivered by DPD Switzerland are delivered on the next working day.
Swiss e-shoppers primarily understand a sustainable purchase to mean local production and the environmental friendliness of the product. Furthermore, delivery from one's own country is understood as sustainable. Regular e-shoppers perceive the simultaneous delivery of several products and delivery with low-emission vehicles such as electric or hybrid delivery vans or bicycles as environmentally friendly delivery.
People like to order on European websites
87 percent of regular e-shoppers regularly order from foreign websites, 90 percent from European websites and 44 percent from Chinese websites. This is very different from the European average. Of the European regular e-shoppers, 73 percent have already made purchases on European websites and 54 percent on Chinese websites.
Shopping experience less pleasant
As e-commerce becomes more prevalent, more regular e-shoppers are providing post-purchase feedback. E-shopper expectations are rising and the online buying experience is perceived as less easy than it used to be, with 60 percent of regular e-shoppers saying their last online purchase was easy, up from 70 percent in 2019. As e-commerce volumes increased, the practice developed of ordering more than needed: More than a quarter of regular e-shoppers return their last order - a sharp increase over 2019 and well above the European average, which is 12 percent. While regular e-shoppers are buying/returning more categories, it has become more difficult to return a package.
Influencers influence, e-shoppers give feedbacks
60 percent of Swiss e-shoppers choose the website based on recommendations on social media and influencers, this figure is slightly above the European average (57 percent). The need to publish or share their own feedback has risen to 65 percent, which is 7 percent higher than in 2019.
"We put our customers at the center, our shippers and recipients, and meet their needs. With the e-shopper barometer, we can see whether we are meeting these needs and whether our development is on track. Furthermore, we are very aware of our responsibility towards our earth and our fellow human beings and actively take this responsibility seriously," says DPD Switzerland CEO Tilmann Schultze. "We have been delivering every parcel in a climate-neutral way for 10 years - at no additional cost to our customers."
Different profiles, different expectations
Some of the e-shoppers can be divided into three different profiles: Routiniers, Epicures and Ecology Afficionados.
Routiniers are experienced and very regular e-shoppers, they have been actively e-shopping for at least 5 years. They buy all kinds of goods online and are very loyal to websites where they shop. They feel reassured when they know the delivery company. They make up 15 percent of all Swiss e-shoppers.
Epicureans tend to be young online shoppers. They find online shopping convenient, time- and cost-saving, and less stressful than shopping in stores. They often look for reviews and recommendations before buying. They account for 13 percent of all Swiss e-shoppers.
Ecology-savvy e-shoppers tend to be casual shoppers with a more limited number of products they buy online. They prefer physical purchases for certain ducts. They are certainly less influenced by ratings and recommendations. They make up 19 percent of all Swiss e-shoppers.
23,394 interviews conducted
For the study commissioned by DPDgroup, a total of 23,394 interviews were conducted in 21 European countries between June 02 and July 16, 2021. In Switzerland, 1,001 people aged 18 and over took part in the survey.
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