83% Indian consumers shopped online more in past 3 years: Report

Consumers are looking for innovations in personalisation, shoppertainment, and payment options that enhance their experience and at the same time, make it easier to discover new brands and make purchasing convenient, as per the ‘What’s Next in E-Commerce’ survey, conducted by FedEx Express — a subsidiary of FedEx Corp.

With plenty of shopping festivals already in the calendar, consumers are looking for even more seasonal offers. Taken together, the research shows there is plenty of fertile ground for e-tailers to experiment with new approaches that can help build their customer base.

In India, 80 per cent of SMEs agree that consumer buying behaviour has fundamentally changed due to COVID and most of them predict e-commerce will continue to boom, and be integral to their business growth over the next three years. Ninety-three per cent of SMEs are excited by this, and believe they are well positioned to capitalise on this growth.

As more consumers participate in the on-demand economy and increasing shipment volumes puts pressure on e-tailers, maintaining customer service quality is critical. The survey data reveals a significant 10 per cent gap between how SMEs rate their own e-commerce customer experience and how consumers view it. The biggest gaps appeared in having an efficient returns service (13 per cent) and access to customer support (11 per cent) in the AMEA region.

Deliveries taking too long is the number one pain consumer point (53 per cent) followed by handling returns (42 per cent). Consumers typically expect delivery within three days to one week, but clearly there is a desire for delivery to be at least more reliable if not faster.

While the future looks bright, 65 per cent of e-tailers in AMEA reported they were struggling to handle the growing number of orders they were receiving. Amid surging demand talent and recruitment has proven challenging for SMEs.

The ‘What’s Next in E-Commerce’ survey, conducted by FedEx Express — a subsidiary of FedEx Corp, polled SMEs and consumers in India, and 10 other markets in the Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa region (AMEA) in July 2022 to explore the continuing evolution of e-commerce in the region and identify the trends that could fuel their future growth.

“With more people shopping online, consumer preferences are becoming increasingly sophisticated. As SMEs and e-merchants evolve their online sales platforms, our research uncovers opportunities for businesses to capitalise on what consumers want. Customer experience is the driving force behind how e-tailers engage with their customers and how we are innovating our shipping solutions. With an expanded portfolio specially developed for e-commerce businesses, FedEx is well positioned to support the changing expectations of consumers and continuation of e-commerce growth,” said Kawal Preet, president of the Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa (AMEA) at FedEx Express.

“SMEs are the growth engines of the Indian economy. During the pandemic the e-commerce sector provided many SMEs with an opportunity to recover and expand their business. Today, cross border trade has emerged as a key business priority for SMEs in India and a major opportunity to bolster growth. FedEx enables SMEs to reach their full potential by connecting them to a world of possibilities through the strength of our global network, tailored solutions, and valued-added services,” said Kami Viswanathan, senior vice president of FedEx Express Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa Operations.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NB)