A study by Royal Mail, which surveyed 123 online retailers and 1,515 shoppers, found that more than half of commercial websites fail to meet the needs of consumers when it comes to delivery services.

A total of 58 per cent of shoppers say that greater flexibility over delivery options would encourage buying more online. According to the survey, just 15 per cent of online retailers allow customers to choose a specific delivery date.

Moreover, less than a third of online retailers don’t display delivery charge information until checkout and 16 per cent don’t offer online order tracking.

2 x Case Studies: Small companies that improved their delivery services with Royal Mail

David Smith, managing director of IMRG, a membership community for the e-retail industry, says: ‘In order to support the continued growth of our industry it’s vital that online retailers regularly evaluate the scope of their delivery offerings and look for new ways to satisfy customer expectations.’