Hong Kong, one of the fast paced markets of the Asia region, is also home to some of the most dissatisfied online shoppers. According to UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper: A Customer Experience Study for Asia and Australia, online shoppers in Hong Kong are the least satisfied with the online shopping experience from all the countries surveyed at only (38 per cent), compared with the United States (83 per cent), Europe (78 per cent) and China (60 per cent). The survey, conducted by comScore and UPS, is part of a global study that measures e-commerce preferences of consumers and the integrated buying experience of shopping in physical stores and online, also known as omnichannel retailing.
More control over purchase delivery matters the most
Online shoppers said they want more delivery options. The key reasons for the world’s lowest satisfaction includes the lack of green/environmentally friendly shipping options (34 per cent) and the limited ability to choose a specified time of day for delivery or reroute packages (37 per cent). The survey shows consumers view these areas as critical, providing retailers with insight on ways to drive customer retention. Over half (55 per cent) of the Hong Kong consumers agreed that package tracking is an essential feature and 58 per cent of them viewed the ability to track shipments directly on the retailer’s website as the most important feature, followed by text message at 57 per cent and email notification with a tracking number at 55 per cent.
“Our survey reveals online shoppers value convenience and transparency greatly. UPS’s full suite of logistics solutions and innovative technologies provide online retailers and their end customers with flexible options and shipping milestone transparency that will enhance their experiences,” said William Ng, Managing Director of UPS Hong Kong and Macau.
Omnichannel retail experiences
Today’s shoppers are also becoming more discerning with choices when it comes to shopping online and seek a greater interaction with retail stores.
73 per cent of the surveyed Hong Kong shoppers, the highest percentage in the world, have bought other items while in store to collect their online purchases, highlighting the incremental sales opportunity for retailers.
Location-based social/deal services have also gained popularity among the Hong Kong shoppers as 44 per cent of consumers prefer to receive promotions sent by retailers using location-based social/deal services, particularly from local sites for coupons such as Yahoo! Hong Kong Deals (20 per cent). The survey also shows 66 per cent of Facebook users ‘like’ the retailer to stay in touch, and 56 per cent actively voice their opinions to the brand on Facebook.
“With the high smartphone and tablet penetration rates in Hong Kong, it is no surprise the online shopping community has grown exponentially in recent years. With such a sophisticated e-commerce market, retailers will need to strengthen the online and offline shopping integration to meet the changing needs of the Hong Kong consumers,” said Susan Engleson, comScore’s Senior Director.
Hassle-free returns as a competitive advantage
When asked what is considered important during the check-out process, Hong Kong had the highest number of respondents (88 per cent) rate “easy to access reviews of other buyers” as their top preference, compared to the Asia Pacific’s average at 72 per cent. In addition to user reviews, 9 in 10 Hong Kong consumers also review retailers’ return policies. A hassle-free returns policy not only entices shoppers to recommend the retailer to friends (48 per cent), but also attracts them to shop more with that retailer (43 per cent).
Other important factors: free or discounted shipping options (58 per cent), free returns (46 per cent) and easy returns and exchanges (36 per cent). “Ease of returns plays a crucial role in creating a positive customer experience,” added Ng. “Retailers should seek support from a professional supply chain management partner to streamline their returns management and reverse logistics, transforming their returns process into a competitive advantage.”