Amid rising operational costs and sustained consumer demand for ecommerce, retailers are facing growing pressure on delivery resilience as 2 in 3 shoppers experience fulfilment friction, according to new research from Collect+.

Original research of 2,500 UK shoppers by Collect+ showed that 84% now shop digitally at least once a month, with a fifth (21%) buying online once a week. However, two thirds (67%) are experiencing delivery issues, such as delays, missed deliveries or lost parcels, when shopping online.

“Retailers are under pressure from every direction, with rising operational costs on one side and improving customer expectations on the other,” said Sam Holden, Director of Parcels & Ecommerce at PayPoint.

This, Collect+ says, is making delivery resilience a growing priority for retailers, particularly as business audiences pay closer attention to the risks of relying too heavily on a single carrier.

Delivery choice is now a key consideration for shoppers, with 87% rating choice of delivery or collection options as important. When choosing a delivery option, a third (33%) say flexible fulfilment or collection options matters most, equalling those who’d prioritise fast delivery (33%).

“Delivery choice is a core part of the customer experience… consumers want flexibility, reliability and control,” Holden continued. She added that a multi-carrier approach can offer retailers more resilience in delivery operations, reducing dependency on single fulfilment providers to maintain servicing levels.