From their favorite brands to specialty retailers, from direct-to-consumer to buy-online-deliver-from-store, today’s shoppers have more online shopping choices than ever, and they’re not afraid to exercise them. When the items they want are available from multiple businesses, the delivery experience you offer can make or break how you retain customers and earn new ones (or not).

In a recent Roadie survey, online shoppers named their top three delivery deal-breakers. These are the problems that are most likely to ruin their purchasing experience and turn elsewhere next time they shop:

• Damaged items (47%)
• Orders never received (45%)
• High delivery costs (38%)

The good news is that each of these pain points can be mitigated or even eliminated by prioritizing the delivery experience. By choosing a logistics partner that prioritizes quality, transparency and flexibility, retailers can turn these issues from deal-breakers to brand-builders.

1. Damaged deliveries put brands on the fast track to lost loyalty.

Damaged deliveries actually came up twice in the Roadie survey. Not only did 47% of respondents highlight damage as a reason to abandon a retailer, but nearly a third (32%) of shoppers also said that damage-free delivery is one of the most important aspects of the delivery experience. 

These priorities are present across all geographies, demographics and shopping categories. 

• Gen X shoppers were most likely to say damaged items would stop them from re-ordering (55%).
• Suburban shoppers placed greater emphasis on damage-free delivery (36%) than their urban (28%) and rural (29%) counterparts.
• Nearly half of all respondents (48%) said they’ve specifically avoided ordering oversized or bulky items online due to concerns about damage, timing, or being home to receive them. 

What retailers can do:

No matter how beautiful the product description or how smooth the online checkout, a dented box or shattered item will sour the customer experience. Make sure your delivery solutions can accommodate oversized items and support special handling instructions for fragile orders. 

Having these conversations up front means your customer satisfaction promise will be carried (literally) all the way to the doorstep.

2. Undelivered orders are a non-starter

When an order simply never shows up, the damage goes deeper than a missing package. It erodes your customer’s trust, and once that’s gone it’s hard to win back. 

“Orders never received” was a close second in the rankings of worst delivery offenses, cited by 45% of respondents. This number is higher among older shoppers and those in the suburbs.

• Baby Boomers were the most sensitive to missing orders, with more than half (53%) saying it would make them walk away from a retailer. This group also cited lack of customer support as a top frustration point. A third (32%) said they would leave a brand behind if they couldn’t get help resolving a delivery issue.
• Nearly half of suburban shoppers (49%) said the same, compared to 44% of rural and 40% of urban shoppers. 

What retailers can do:

Missed deliveries happen, but your choice of delivery network can make them less frequent and help you build trust among customers. Features like clear delivery windows, real-time status updates, and photographic proof-of-delivery give shoppers the confidence they need to place their orders and keep coming back. 

3. When high delivery costs aren’t worth the price

Free delivery claims the top spot (58%) among survey respondents when asked what matters most in their delivery experience. At the same time, 38% of customers say high delivery costs would deter them from shopping with a retailer again. Baby Boomers were most likely to feel this way at 48%. 

Having said that, respondents also made it known that they are willing to pay for certain things.

• 65% of consumers said they were satisfied the last time they paid extra for 24-hour delivery.
• 15% of shoppers prioritized low delivery fees (around $5) as the most important aspect of their delivery experience.
• Consumers are willing to pay more for certain items or circumstances, such as
  • Medical supplies or prescriptions (37%)
  • Groceries, food and flowers (36%)
  • Electronics or tech items (33%)
  • Large appliances (29%)
  • Luxury goods (27%)

When asked what they felt was a fair price for 24-hour delivery, shoppers said they expected to pay $10–20 for bulky items, $10–15 for high-value items, and for low-value urgent items $5 or less was fair. 

What retailers can do:

The takeaway here is that delivery cost is only a deal-breaker if it doesn’t align with the item’s perceived value. Retailers who offer tiered delivery pricing or bundle delivery fees with loyalty perks or free delivery thresholds can better balance profitability with customer expectations. 

Dennis Moon, Chief Operating Officer for Roadie, recommends A/B testing different delivery pricing structures to see what resonates with customers while still keeping profitability in mind. “If you have high-margin products, consider offering them free delivery,” he says. “If you have low-margin products, tack on a small cost based on what consumers are willing to pay. But really look at it as a tactical opportunity to win that sale instead of using a one-size-fits-all cost model across the board.”

Protect your brand from delivery problems

Knowing your customers will turn to competitors just a click away if something goes wrong with delivery, it’s time to focus on improving your logistics to prevent problems before they happen. Slow, sloppy and expensive delivery issues are all solvable problems when you use a platform like Roadie for same-day delivery. 

Roadie connects you with a nationwide network of independent, local drivers so you can quickly deliver the orders your customers are expecting, along with a positive experience that builds your reputation:

• Delivery vehicles sized to match each order’s specific needs help reduce damage risk and improve delivery reliability, even for oversized items.
• Reduce the risk of missed orders with real-time tracking, photo confirmation and two-way communication between drivers and customers, as well as drivers and retailers. 
• Affordable pricing puts same-day delivery within reach so retailers can add more delivery options at a wide range of price points that appeal to customers. 

When delivery works the way shoppers want it to, they turn to you time and again for the same great products and a positive delivery experience. Reach out today to add same-day delivery with Roadie and keep customers coming back for more.