UPS Looks at “Savvy Shoppers”

The 2017 UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper™ survey reveals a changing retail landscape where online shoppers purchase more from international retailers, shop more on mobile devices and rely more on marketplaces. Volume 4 in this series zooms in on “The Savvy Shoppers,” and highlights these findings, of interest to etailers and shippers:

Open to small and large retailers. A new breed of shopper values both small merchants and large marketplaces. These shoppers have honed their shopping skills to find the best prices from every corner of the world.

Looking for something unique. Six percent of respondents said they shop at small retailers because they offer unique products, and six percent of those who have purchased from an international retailer say they did so to find unique products not found in the United States

Ready to compare prices. Most shoppers believe that a better price can be found with a little time and the aid of a smartphone. In fact, a majority of mobile device users, especially millennials, report comparing prices and searching for retailer coupons in order to secure a better price.

Shipping still matters. The importance of free shipping options at checkout has declined three points since 2015, from 77 percent to 74 percent. However, 79 percent of shoppers report that shipping fees are important during the product search and selection process. Over half of shoppers abandoned their carts because shipping costs made the total purchase more than expected.

Signing up for membership. The percentage of online shoppers who have joined one or more membership programs is at its highest level in three years, up from 45 percent in 2015 to 65 percent in 2017. More than eight in 10 online shoppers indicated free shipping is an appealing element of a membership rewards program.

The full text of Volume 4: The Savvy Shoppers can be found here.