Key takeaways from BigCommerce’s 2023 Online Shopping Report: consumer behaviour trends shaping ecommerce

The findings in this report offer a window into shopper attitudes, concerns, and priorities to help retailers adjust strategies and respond to changing consumer demands. In this report, you can learn about shopper purchasing behaviours, cart abandonment, delivery expectations, loyalty programs, brand engagement, and social media effectiveness.

Free and cheap delivery drives repeat purchases

With 93 percent of shoppers saying free delivery encourages them to make repeat purchases with a brand, it comes as no surprise that this is the most desired offering for shoppers when shopping online. Also, 97 percent of shoppers are likely or very likely to abandon a cart due to high shopping costs, with 83 percent saying that these are mostly communicated too late in the check out process. The report has identified that $5–$10 is typically the breaking point for consumers when it comes to small item delivery fees.

Free shipping is also the most popular inclusion for a loyalty program, with 80 percent of shoppers favouring it as a loyalty reward over collecting redeemable points, discounts, and other popular features.

Fast shipping is also a must have for shoppers, with 75 percent of consumers identifying it as something that would encourage repeat shopping. However, half of customers do say they won’t pay extra for speedy delivery and 34 percent say they aren’t deterred by longer shipping times. 

A secure website and easy check out process is essential

Besides hidden delivery costs, abandoned carts can occur when customers don’t trust a site’s safety. For instance, 92 percent of customers are likely or very likely to abandon their cart when the site doesn’t have adequate security measures.

Consumers are also weary to share their data following recent data leaks, with 67 percent getting turned off from completing a purchase if the site requires them to register for an account before checking out. This weariness is also a deterrent for consumers joining a loyalty program. In fact, 50 percent of shoppers identify data security as a major issue that would make them either stop using or not join a retailer’s loyalty program.

Similarly, the checkout process itself needs to be straightforward, as 87 percent of shoppers abandon orders when the checkout process is too complicated.

Engage customers with a strong loyalty program

Shoppers love loyalty programs, especially when joining them is free — or at least cheap. Shoppers identified a loyalty program being expensive to join was their biggest deterrent to signing up.

In the report, it’s clear that customers value a variety of different loyalty program rewards, including free shipping, early access, discounts, free and exclusive products. Surprisingly, personalised options are the lowest priority, with only 9 percent of shoppers selecting it as one of their favourite loyalty program awards, followed by a longer returns period at only 11 percent.

To foster loyalty within an online community, engage with shoppers via social media. Facebook takes the crown for the platform shoppers are engaging with most at 82 percent, with 55 percent of those consumers being successfully encouraged to make a purchase via the social network. Giveaways are undeniably the champion of community engagement with 46 percent of shoppers enjoying the overall brand or retailer experience most when engaging in a contest or giveaway – even when the consumer wasn’t engaged in the shopping process.

Put consumers at the heart of everything

It might be obvious, but the most important takeaway for retailers is to always put customers first, especially now as the market becomes more competitive as customers have less disposable income and must make informed choices about where to spend. By understanding what the consumer wants, you can ensure your shopping experience exceeds expectations and continues to build brand loyalty. 

You can find out everything you need to know about consumer behaviour in BigCommerce’s 2023 Online Shopping Report: Consumer Behaviour Trends Shaping Ecommerce whitepaper, available to download for free here.