Ongoing changes to customs regulations has made the need for accurate data even greater. And as returns grow faster than outbound shipping, retailers need to step up delivery and management systems to fulfil demands.

Our data shows:

A 58% shipping growth across all Intersoft’s eCommerce customers – compared to 29% global growth year on year.

The shift to online shopping during the pandemic continued to be the biggest influence on shipping growth, creating a 151% year on year growth since January 2019 (pre-pandemic) to December 2021.

Intersoft’s Intelligent Shipper^® delivery management software saw certain market sectors (including exercise, arts and crafts, and books) almost tripling their shipments during April 2020 to April 2021, highlighting consumer take-up of ‘at home’ activities.

Overall, retailers enjoyed 57% growth in 2021, with many working alongside third parties to offer customers a wider choice of delivery services.

Third Party Logistics companies (3PLs) grew by 22% year on year, while Third Party Integrators (3PIs) grew by 51%, demonstrating the significance of their role in eCommerce.

Black Friday continued to encourage consumers to spend.

The value of goods going through Intersoft’s Intelligent Shipper^® during the Black Friday to Cyber Monday peak period was £176 million, a 20% increase on 2020. The average basket value was £45.27.

A staggering 8.4 million shipments – 2.1 million labels per day – were generated during the four day period.

Returns became a dominant factor in eCommerce.

A 68% growth in returns, faster than the growth in outbound shipping, suggests retailers need to ensure they’re delivering the right product. However, opportunities to increase customer loyalty lies with flexible or free returns options.

Retailers who can provide a mix of collection and delivery options  are taking advantage of store returns to encourage further purchases.

What does the future hold?

According to PWC, nearly half of consumers do not expect to be ‘back to normal’ until 2023. Will this affect the growth eCommerce has enjoyed over the past two years? Will retailers return to the high street or grow their online business? What new delivery services will consumers demand? And how will delivery management systems continue to help retailers cope with these changes?

For more insights into eCommerce post-lockdown, download our infographic.

Could delivery management software benefit your online business? Call us on 01753 689 292 to find out more.