Online shoppers in Australia are more interested in flexible delivery options than speedy ones, according to a new survey commissioned by CouriersPlease (CP).

An independent panel of 1,009 Australian consumers who have made at least three online purchases in the last six months revealed weekend parcel delivery is the most popular service, with 60 per cent of respondents saying they would like to see it in future, followed by after-hours delivery, with 52 per cent of respondents saying the same.

In comparison, 48 per cent said they want same-day delivery, followed by a mere 22 per cent saying they wanted three-hour delivery.

CP conducted a second survey of 193 online sellers to see how their priorities align with consumer preferences. The findings suggest buyers and sellers are largely on the same page.

Sixty-seven per cent of sellers said they are most likely to offer same-day delivery, followed by 61 per cent who chose weekend delivery.

More parcel collection and drop-off points for customers to collect and return their online orders (39 per cent and 38 per cent respectively was popular with both groups.

“Online shoppers live busy lives and often can’t or simply don’t want to wait around for their package to arrive,” said Mark McGinley, chief executive of CP, which operates a network of more than 1,000 POPShop retail outlets, where shoppers can pick up their packages after-hours and on weekends.

“CP is working to implement new services this year to improve the delivery process for our online retailer customers and their shoppers,” he said.

“These new technologies will provide consumers with greater visibility over the parcel delivery journey and streamline the overall customer experience.”

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