A survey of 2,000 UK residents by delivery experience platform Sorted has revealed that 42% of end-customers say they missed three deliveries during the pandemic due to miscommunication from the merchant or carriers.

Among those surveyed by Sorted, 63% said they would likely be away from home more often as pandemic restrictions get lifted – rising to 77% among 18-34 year olds. Better communication and a better-connected delivery experience will alleviate those concerns.

The research also showed that customers are less likely to return to a merchant after a single negative delivery experience. Some 22% now expect to miss deliveries or anticipate that packages will be left outside their homes more often. London is where the most missed deliveries that occur due to miscommunication.

“Brands need to work smarter than ever to ensure consumers are kept updated, with this research showing that delivery communications are still clearly inconsistent and detrimental to a customer’s experience,” commented David Grimes, CEO, Sorted.

“After 18 months of people being home to receive parcels, we need to avoid the inevitable ‘parcel panic’ as people go back to their normal lives, when they leave the house more and worry about when their parcel will arrive.”

“In the new e-commerce experience economy, our research has revealed there’s a great opportunity for brands to differentiate themselves by owning the delivery experience end-to-end and connecting more with customers across the whole journey,” explained Grimes.

“With real-time tracking and personalized comms available to enhance the customer delivery experience, there’s no reason why brands should make customers rely on text or email communications alone. With the rate of e-commerce growth unlikely to slow down, retailers need to create customer confidence regardless of where and how people decide to shop.”