Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Report: Consumer sentiment mixed on retail delivery performance

Delivery tracking, ease of online ordering earn high marks, but 73% of consumers say they’ve experienced delivery problems in the past three months, tech firm survey shows.

packages-gc28b55c41_640.jpg

The cost of a poor delivery experience is rising as online buying trends accelerate and consumer expectations grow.

That’s according to a survey by logistics technology company Descartes, which found that nearly 73% of consumers experienced home delivery problems in the past three months, a factor that kept nearly a quarter of them from ordering through a particular retailer again. Problems include late delivery, long delivery windows, and product damage, among others. 


Descartes polled 8,000 consumers in Europe and North America for the study, Ecommerce Home Delivery Consumer Sentiment Report, which analyzes consumer e-commerce buying behavior, the factors driving e-commerce activity, along with the kinds of goods purchased, their frequency, and which are being delivered.

Despite the delivery problems, respondents said they expect to buy even more online in the future, primarily out of convenience. About three-quarters of consumers said they are most satisfied with retailers’ ordering and delivery tracking capabilities, for instance, and nearly half of them said they’ve increased their online purchases over the past two years, according to Descartes.

The study also found that environmental concerns increasingly play a role in consumers’ online purchasing behavior, especially among younger shoppers. Eighty-five percent of consumers between 18 and 24 years old said they consider the environment when placing an order, for instance; less than half of those 55 and older said the environment is a factor in online ordering.

Screen Shot 2022-04-07 at 1.18.29 PM.png

The Latest

More Stories

drone flying through warehouse

Robotic revolution

Robots are revolutionizing factories, warehouses, and distribution centers (DCs) around the world, thanks largely to heavy investments in the technology between 2019 and 2021. And although investment has slowed since then, the long-term outlook calls for steady growth over the next four years. According to data from research and consulting firm Interact Analysis, revenues from shipments of industrial robots are forecast to grow nearly 4% per year, on average, between 2024 and 2028 (see Exhibit 1).

market forecast for industrial robots - revenues graphEXHIBIT 1: Market forecast for industrial robots - revenuesInteract Analysis

Keep ReadingShow less

Featured

Freight Science dashboard screen
Freight Science

High-tech solution helps truckload carrier drive change

The trucking industry faces a range of challenges these days, particularly when it comes to load planning—a resource-intensive task that often results in suboptimal decisions, unnecessary empty miles, late deliveries, and inefficient asset utilization. What’s more, delays in decision-making due to a lack of real-time insights can hinder operational efficiency, making cost management a constant struggle.

Truckload carrier Paper Transport Inc. (PTI) experienced this firsthand when the company sought to expand its over the-road (OTR), intermodal, and brokerage offerings to include dedicated fleet services for high-volume shippers—adding a layer of complexity to the business. The additional personnel required for such a move would be extremely costly, leading PTI to investigate technology solutions that could help close the gap.

Keep ReadingShow less
indigo software screenshot WMS

Aptean adds British WMS vendor in latest acquisition

The Georgia-based enterprise software vendor Aptean today said it had acquired Indigo Software Ltd., a British provider of purpose-built warehouse management and logistics software solutions.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Aptean said the move will add new capabilities to its warehouse management and supply chain management offerings for manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, retailers, and 3PLs. Aptean currently provides enterprise resource planning (ERP), transportation management systems (TMS), and product lifecycle management (PLM) platforms.

Keep ReadingShow less
schneider app screenshot for owner operators

Schneider seeks more business with owner-operators

Transportation and logistics service provider Schneider National Inc. is reaching out to owner-operators, encouraging them to do more business with the Wisconsin company using an updated digital platform.

Schneider says its FreightPower platform now offers owner-operators significantly more access to Schneider’s range of freight options. That can help drivers to generate revenue and strengthen their business through: increased access to freight, high drop and hook rates of over 95% of loads, and a trip planning feature that calculates road miles.

Keep ReadingShow less
trucks used by jillamy 3PL

Texas 3PL Mode Global acquires Jillamy’s freight brokerage arm

The Texas third-party logistics firm (3PL) Mode Global has acquired the freight brokerage business of supply chain service provider Jillamy, saying on Monday that the deal advances its strategy of expanding its national footprint.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, but Mode Global said it will now assume Jillamy's comprehensive logistics and freight management solutions, while Jillamy's warehousing, packaging and fulfillment services remain unchanged. Under the agreement, Mode Global will gain more than 200 employees and add facilities in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Florida, Texas, Illinois, South Carolina, Maryland, and Ontario to its existing national footprint.

Keep ReadingShow less