Mid-market and enterprise retailers’ uptake of carrier management and post-purchase solutions increased in the first quarter of 2024 as retailers look to unify customer journeys, according to the latest research from Scurri, the next-generation delivery management platform.
In the face of rising operational costs and fast-changing consumer demands, retailers and brands are seeking to adopt a more joined-up approach to channel management, with a focus on building unified commerce system infrastructures to deliver exceptional cross-channel shopping experiences to customers.
In-depth research of 200 UK pure-play and omnichannel retailers conducted by Scurri revealed that mid-market retailer uptake of third-party post-purchase software increased +5% to 86% in the first three months of the year. Enterprise retailers reported a +4% increase, with 91% now deploying solutions to boost loyalty during the highly engaged post-purchase phase of the customer journey, as well as reducing ‘where is my order’ (WISMO) queries and protecting rates of customer retention.
This uptake is reflective of the importance of after-sales customer care with Scurri research, conducted in partnership with DeliveryX, revealing 63% of consumers identify the fulfilment stage of the customer journey as when they’re most “emotional”. Nine in ten (90%) shoppers reported considering regular updates on the status of their orders as non-negotiable – making it clear delivery and post-purchase are key to a successful unified commerce infrastructure.
Adoption of carrier management providers also increased in both categories – growing +9% within enterprise-level businesses (87%) and +8% for mid-market retailers (82%) as businesses focus on effective carrier management and shipment allocation to improve speed and choice for shoppers while maintaining cost-effective and efficient fulfilment operations.
Rory O’Connor, founder & CEO of Scurri, commented: “Enabling the all-important delivery and post-purchase experience means unifying not just the customer experience across all channels, but the functionality, systems and processes to deliver seamless shopping journeys as well. To do this affordably – and with a level of service that will engender higher spend and long-term loyalty – retailers will need to automate as many processes as possible using a single platform that is able to personalise to every customer need and track progress so that there are no breaks in service or communication.”
For more key takeaways around how building a unified commerce strategy will enable retailers to deliver the best possible service across the customer journey, including the delivery and post-purchase elements, download the full report: Omnichannel strategies for driving profitability across multiple channels from pre- to post-purchase.
