Mixed performance in the categories online

The last few years have been marked by several societal earthquakes that have affected different sectors in different ways. As of the second quarter of 2023 is concerned, development is more divergent than ever. The most obvious difference is between pharmacy and building products, which both generate very large figures. The difference is that pharmacy is reporting positive figures while building products is reporting negative. Sectors with higher average amounts, which sell a lot of what are known as capital-intensive goods, are also negatively affected by consumers holding off on large purchases due to the state of the economy. Of nine studied categories, three show growth: pharmacy products, clothing and footwear, and sports and leisure products.

Distribution point still the most common form of delivery

There are an increasing number of options for how consumers can have their e-commerce items delivered. Customer needs change and evolve, and e-retailers are constantly looking for answers regarding when, where and how to deliver to best meet those needs. Despite the wide range of choices, the most common way of delivering online purchases is still via a distribution point. As many as 45 percent of the consumers said that this was how they received their most recent e-commerce parcel. Even if some consumers do not receive their items in the way they would prefer, a full 87 percent said they were very or fairly satisfied with their most recent delivery.

Younger consumers make the most returns

When an online purchase does not meet consumer expectations, it is natural for them to be able to return it. According to the Parcel Index, 12 percent of all e-commerce parcels were returned throughout 2022. This corresponds to 23.6 million parcels. The fashion sector has by far the highest return rate, and the sector’s annual summer sale mean that the lion’s share of e-commerce parcels is returned between May and July. Younger people are the most frequent online shoppers, so its not surprising that they are also the ones who return the highest percentage of parcels.