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Nigel TAYLOR Published
October 31, 2025
Ahead of a hectic Christmas trading period, a massive 93% of shoppers say they’ve experienced delivery delays — 35% of those regularly — and 53% have decided not to buy from a retailer if they don’t like their returns policy.
Those are the key issues facing online shoppers and retailers, according to joint research from post-purchase specialist Shipup and tech-driven retail returns solutions company ZigZag Global.
And considering 84% of shoppers always check the returns policy (up from 76% a year ago), “this could have a significant impact on the number of sales if retailers aren’t getting their returns policy right”, they said.
The retail experts predict Christmas shopping growth is expected to dip from last year despite online shopping remaining a priority for many (some 61% of shoppers are still making an online purchase at least once a week).
Currently, 35% of shoppers say they’re more likely to make a return due to the cost-of-living crisis. And while there’s a significant rise in retailers charging for returns, many shoppers still prefer returns to be free (82%). Having said that, the research did also find that 61% of shoppers would still buy from a retailer if they charged.
Interestingly, the research also found that when it comes to delivery, speed is not the be all and end all. In fact, an accurate delivery estimate is important to more shoppers (57%) than a quick delivery (43%).
Furthermore, communication is key. Currently, only 25% of shoppers are receiving branded communications from retailers on deliveries. A more worrying figure is that 23% of shoppers hear from the carrier about delivery but nothing from the retailers themselves. That can be confusing if they have multiple deliveries due and are simply told that a parcel from Evri, Yodel, DPD or any other courier is due.
Even though delivery can be the first experience of a brand, it can also be the most damning as 38% of shoppers said they wouldn’t shop with a retailer again after a poor delivery experience. A further 37% were unsure. That’s not to say it’s all over at this stage, as shoppers can be won round with an apology and discount (54%) or proactive customer service (43%).
Tracking also appears to be key with 80% saying proactive tracking alerts are important to them. Almost half (43%) of shoppers always track their deliveries and this is the ideal time for retailers to engage with their shoppers. However, 35% of shoppers find the tracking updates unhelpful or confusing.
The research also highlighted shoppers’ preferences for returning an item bought online. Return to post office (58%), collect from home (48%) and return to convenience store (40%) remain the three most popular methods. However, more shoppers are looking at return to store (39%) and locker return (24%) options as choice and flexibility is also key to shoppers.
Finally, according to UK shoppers, a good return experience should be free of charge (82%), include a fast refund (72%), multiple options for returns (46%), and not require a printer (42%).