Pet owners expect their online spend to increase by 12% in 2023, considerably above the average for other customer groups, according to research from delivery management company Whistl.
Earlier this year the firm commissioned a survey of a representative sample of 1,000 UK adults in order to understand consumer buying habits in the current economic climate. While consumers overall expect to reduce their online spending by 3% compared to last year, some groups are expecting an increase – notably males, families with children, people who are currently shopping weekly or more often, and households with an annual income of more than £70k.
According to the research, pet owners fit strongly into this pattern, as they have an average household income of £70k+ and 56% have children, along with high levels of dog ownership (73%) and cat ownership (53%). In addition, pet owners have a significantly higher than average use of subscription services (40% of respondents have one or more) and are active social media users.
Half of pet owners identify ‘lowest delivery cost’ as their number one requirement for online retail, slightly lower than the national average of 54%, while 32% place ‘speed of delivery’ in the number one position, higher than average. When asked which features of online retail would appeal most, pet owners said free delivery (63%); free returns (44%); free samples (34%); exclusive offers (33%); fast delivery (32%); customer reviews (31%) and sustainable delivery (30%). Shoppers’ own suggestions for retaining customers included loyalty rewards (64%) and discounts/offers (41%).
The Whistl report contains unique consumer online profiles based on demographics, online expenditure and attitudes towards spending in 2023. It also provides insights on customer behaviour to returns, delivery, subscriptions, and social media use. For example, it finds that £5.95 is the highest price point for delivery before it has a negative impact on the ability to convert a sale, while only 3% of online shoppers are loyal to particular retailers.
Whistl executive chairman Nick Wells said: “No doubt that the trading environment in the UK is challenging, but it’s important that we help our e-commerce fulfilment customers navigate these times and help them to thrive.
“Our report includes great insight into the current state of the market but most importantly profiles of what the consumer is thinking, which e-commerce retailers can use to enhance their online retail operations and grow their businesses.”
For a copy of the research go to: https://www.whistl.co.uk/continuetothrive
Whistl is a £820m+ revenue, delivery management company that provides mail, parcels, leaflet advertising, fulfilment and contact centre services in the UK and internationally. The Whistl group of companies operates across the UK and handles in excess of 3.6bn items a year.
