REPORT: FREE SHIPPING IS THE TICKET TO INCREASE ONLINE SHOPPING CART SIZES THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

As online retailers prepare for the ultra-competitive holiday season, advanced knowledge of consumers’ preferences informs decision makers about the services and offers that will attract the most customers during the year-end shopping rush.

The September 2016 Holiday Retail Report released today by omni-channel operations company Radial and customer insight service CFI Group shares recent survey results of over 500 retail shoppers to find out how offers such as free shipping affect the likelihood a customer will increase their purchase when shopping during the holidays.

According to the report, 91 percent of respondents said they would be willing to increase the size of their online order to qualify for free shipping, while 89 percent said waiting 5-10 days for their order to arrive is acceptable if it keeps shipping costs low. Additionally, 77 percent of respondents said they are likely to share their online shopping experiences on a social media platform. The majority of these individuals expect a direct response from the retailer.

“Finding that the overwhelming majority of shoppers are willing to increase the size of their online orders to get free shipping may be surprising to many retailers,” said Sheri Petras, CEO of CFI Group. “It shows that consumers are more interested in finding value rather than simply pinching pennies.”