Blogs

Cross-border ecommerce has never been more attractive than it is right now. When the web is your department store, it doesn’t really matter where an online store is based – everyone with an internet connection is a potential customer. And more people than ever are taking up the offer, to the point where eMarketer predicts the value of global

As countries around the world continue to grapple with COVID-fueled closures, more customers than ever are doing their shopping online. In many cases, this shift will be a permanent one, with Accenture predicting delivery companies will retain up to 50% of the peak volume they have experienced this year.  If you’re the owner of a classic Brick and

It may have taken a backseat while the world has been grappling with the coronavirus, but Brexit is still looming on the horizon. The deadline for the UK and EU to agree on the terms for the UK’s exit from the Union – 1 January 2021 – is fast approaching, and it’s time for retailers to take steps to ensure a smooth transition for their delivery supply chains.  The impact of Brexit on ecommerce  There’s still

With a 45% rise in ecommerce spending this Q2, many retailers are struggling to keep up. They see welcome opportunities to grow sales and acquire new customers, but their old systems simply weren’t designed to pivot and scale to meet demands like these. In challenging times, retailers need new ecommerce solutions, and that’s why they come to

Buying decisions in a crisis become increasingly stressful. Accenture reports that 64% of consumers are worried about their health, and the same proportion (64%) is anxious about their job security.   What’s even more stressful is the process of waiting for a parcel to arrive. Customers get nervous about their orders during a crisis, and are much more likely to call customer service

The coronavirus has changed the way we shop. Many stores have been forced to close their doors and many more have been driven into bankruptcy. Even where they have re-opened, additional sanitary measures prohibit the usual in-store experience, and foot traffic has ultimately remained sparse. Meanwhile, online orders have soared to astronomical heights.  The lockdown-driven shift online has

In the US, as elsewhere, the coronavirus has led consumers to change the way they shop. Pandemic-fueled lockdowns and store closures have driven a consumer shift online, and many are trying out new ways to shop – and finding they love them! According to McKinsey, 75% of American consumers say they have tried a new shopping behavior in response to economic

Pandemic-fueled lockdowns and store closures have driven a consumer shift online. Supply chains have struggled to keep up, and while shoppers were initially forgiving, they are quickly losing patience. Meanwhile, increased noise in the digital space is putting even more pressure on retailers to differentiate their offering online – and the checkout experience is a

As the coronavirus has spread around the globe, it has caused an impact on human life that is both immense and devastating. But its effects haven’t stopped there. COVID-19 has disrupted virtually every aspect of our lives, including the way we shop.    Consumers are living through a crisis right now, and buying decisions have become stressful as a result. Accenture reports that

Retailers might be gearing up for an online demand like no other this peak season, but they should also be preparing for the increased volume of returns that will inevitably come with it. Returns is simply a part of online shopping that today’s consumer accepts – if not expects! Indeed, consumers demand just as much ease and convenience through returns as they do

As the coronavirus pandemic ebbs and flows around the world, the effect on shoppers is just as variable. In the US, many states remain ravaged by the virus. Most consumers have taken refuge in online shopping, while many more besides have cut their spending altogether due to job insecurity or other economic concerns.  In Europe, online shopping has been a firmly established trend for

We’re thrilled to announce that recently at the eCommerce Awards 2020, Metapack triumphed with not one but two awards. Now in their twelfth year, the eCommerce Awards recognize the very best in innovation and celebrate businesses that continue to break new ground. Metapack won in the ‘Best B2B eCommerce’ category for its continued commitment, and

Ecommerce has been running at peak levels since May. Supply lines have struggled to keep up and delays have ensued – leaving behind a trail of broken customer promises. Meanwhile, actual peak season is coming, and our analysis suggests this one will be bigger than ever. Peak season isn’t the only factor that’s fueling demand,

Every year, retailers around the world set to work planning for the peak in demand that builds between Black Friday and Boxing Day. Standard peak season is hard enough to manage, and this year’s peak is shaping up to be a task of epic proportions.   Unlike previous peaks, this year the majority of demand will show

Ecommerce is booming right now – we think you got the memo! As people were forced off the high street and into their homes, they took to online shopping to satisfy their every desire. Our global network of carriers was already experiencing a 68% year-on-year rise in deliveries by April, according to our Home Delivery

On June 15, the UK’s non-essential stores re-opened with all the expected fanfare – queues snaking around the block in front of Nike’s Oxford Street store, and Primark and TK Maxx in Manchester. Meanwhile in the US, where many stores re-opened in May, sales rebounded by a record 17.7% (although this was still a 6%

The dynamic duo: everything’s possible when warehousing and delivery connect  A fully synchronized, optimized supply chain – everyone wants one, and it’s not too hard to see why. When your warehouse management is seamlessly connected to your delivery management, the possibilities are endless. It’s easier to offer your customers a wider range of delivery options,

Covid-19 has dramatically changed the way customers and retailers operate in eCommerce. As lockdown and social distancing measures come into force on a global scale, eCommerce has had to adapt quickly. In this blog we look into the effect of Covid-19 on UK based eCommerce, and potential strategies to manage returns in this new environment.

As the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold and evolve every day, there is a collective sense of uncertainty that both consumers and businesses are grappling with. Consumer behavior is shifting to prioritize essential items over non-essential items and their need for transparency is greater than ever. eCommerce businesses are in a particularly

The evolution of the consumer in a crisis A month ago, when the top of the evening news tailed off to a story of small instances of panic buying toilet paper, the future of today seemed movie-esque in its distance from the current reality. Fast forward to the present and the way we consume; our

With the Covid-19 outbreak continuing to gain momentum, there is a realization among everyone that disruption will continue for many months. For businesses, there have rarely been tougher times – stock markets are down, there may be a potential recession on the horizon and retailers have closed their physical doors. As millions of consumers are

During this unprecedented time, we wanted to take a moment to update all of our customers and partners on the current situation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and how Metapack is managing this extraordinary situation. To begin with, I wanted to thank the healthcare professionals around the world who are putting their own lives at risk

It’s not just hair gel… Where is my order (WISMO)? A term that you probably want eradicated from your customers’ vernacular. When it comes to delivery delays and uncertainty, the pain point is not just that buyers don’t know where their order is; it’s that these orders often form important parts of people’s lives –

Imagine, you’ve finally bought yourself that new jacket you’ve been eyeing up for months or those new headphones that have just been released. The excitement bubbles as those five magic words finally appear ‘your order has been dispatched,’ and then…radio silence. You can’t see where your new purchase is? The frustration sets in as you

In the ongoing battle for acquiring and retaining customers, it’s becoming increasingly important for retailers to turn every touchpoint with their customer into an opportunity to extend their brand experience. A particularly unique stage of the customer journey that retailers can take advantage of? Delivery tracking. According to research from Metapack’s 2020 Global eCommerce Consumer

Metapack Announces Winners at TDC Global As the sun sets on another successful TDC Global, we wanted to take the time to offer our congratulations to the winners of The Delivery Excellence Awards and extend thanks to those who were shortlisted – there’s always next year! From retailers to brands and delivery partners, this past

Take Control of Your Customer Journey with our Delivery Tracker Software We all know the frustration of excitedly ordering a product, only to spend time trying to determine where it is and when it will arrive. It’s annoying, time consuming and reduces the likelihood of shopping with the retailer or brand again. And, 54% say

Retailers and brands need to stand out at all staged of the purchasing cycle in order to compete. Delivery options is a perfect way to differentiate your offering and stand out in a crowded market place. This infographic highlights some tips and tricks you can implement to make delivery options your competitive advantage.

Consumers want a great experience at all stages of the customer journey. At the point of purchase — and post — returns can be leveraged to increase basket conversion and customer loyalty.  Below are our top tips for providing a returns experience that reduces basket abandonment at checkout. Have a clear and accessible returns policy

Happy New Year! In 2019 we shared a lot of resources help retailers and brands provide a superior customer delivery experience. Below are our most popular pieces of content. Make sure you haven’t missed anything! Report — Delivery Options Benchmark One of the most popular pieces resources last year was our Delivery Options Benchmark. The

Welcome to our update on Peak season, covering the weekend of 20th to 23rd December. We are getting close to Christmas time, and have some impressive numbers to share with you! During this weekend we saw a platform increase of 22%, the split of orders was 73% domestic and 27% international. Next day delivery was

Welcome to our update on Peak season, covering the weekend of 13th to 16th December. We hope you enjoyed our deep-dive into Black Friday week. During the weekend, the split of orders was 67% domestic and 33% international. Next day delivery was at an all-time high with 42% of all orders involved Next Day delivery.

Welcome to our update on Peak season, covering the weekend of 6th December to 9th December. As in previous weeks, we have used our sample of 200 retailers to indicate any trends for this year’s peak season. And, using the tracker you can easily compare the results to previous years. The split of orders showed

Welcome to our Black Friday week review! We will be revealing the year-on-year uplift, an interesting trend for this year and where you can find even more Peak data. This year’s numbers indicate a successful week and significant growth for retailers and brands on the Metapack platform. Our Black Friday week shipments were up 35%

Welcome to our update on Peak season, covering the weekend of 29th November to 2nd December — otherwise known as cyber weekend! We saw a 23% uplift in our volume based on a sample of 200 retailers. The split of orders was 64% domestic and 36% international, a 6% reduction on domestic volume since last weekend. The most popular service was Standard/Economy at 54%, but Next Day delivery volume edged closer after increasing by 6% to 40%. As per last weekend, the top destination countries were US, Ireland and France.

Welcome to our update on Peak season, covering the weekend of 22nd to 25th November. Overall, the data was similar to last weekend. The split of orders was 70% domestic and 30% international, a 3% increase on domestic volume since last weekend. The most popular service was Standard/Economy, which had a similar increase of 4%

Welcome to our second update on Peak season, covering the weekend of 15th to 18th November. Overall, the numbers were similar to last year. The split of orders was 67% domestic and 33% international according to volume. The most popular service was Standard/Economy, which was 59% of parcel volume, up 2% from last weekend. Next

    Welcome to our first update on Peak season! Every week we will be updating you on the trends we are seeing every weekend during Peak season; order volume, split of orders, retailer categories and city volume. The weekend of 9th to 12th was up 1% compared to last year. The split of orders

Consumer expectations are now higher than ever when it comes to delivery. A critical challenge for retailers and brands is how to innovate to provide a differentiated customer delivery experience. The answer? Ship from Store. What is Ship from Store? Ship from Store is a fulfilment process where retailers and brands use stores to fulfil

Welcome back to our latest update on the Peak season! Happy New Year! The weekend of 28th to 31st December was up 20% compared to last year. Destination growth for Australia The split of orders was 69% domestic and 31% international, very similar to last week. Standard Delivery returned as the most popular service (55%). This

We recently hosted a webinar discussing the findings from the 2018 State of eCommerce Delivery: Metapack Consumer Research Report. This report surveyed 3,597 consumers in Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK and the US. We focused on the key findings from our research, addressing fast and flexible delivery, international shopping, consumer loyalty and

Welcome back to our latest update on the Peak season! If you celebrate Christmas we hope you had a wonderful time celebrating. The weekend of 21st to 24th December was up an enormous 42% compared to last year. A surge in Next Day deliveries The split of orders was 70% domestic and 30% international. For

Welcome back to our latest update on the Peak season! The weekend of 7th to 10th December was up 4% compared to last year, showing that consumers are busier than ever buying goods. The split of order volume was 69% domestic and 31% international. Last week international volume was particularly high at 34%, whereas this weekend the

Welcome back to our latest update on the Peak season! The weekend of 30th November to 3rd December was up 3% compared to last year. The split of orders was 66% domestic and 34% international. International volume was higher than previous weeks, for example 3.5% higher than the weekend of 16th-19th November. The most popular

Welcome to the Peak report for the weekend of 16th-19th November! There are only two days to Black Friday but already retailers and brands are offering significant discounts.   This weekend the industry with the greatest uplift from last year is Pets (36%). The next highest industries for uplift are Automotive Products (29%) and Furniture

Hello! Here is the Peak report for the weekend of 9th-12th November. The industry with the greatest uplift from last year is Gifts (64%). Pets and Books came in closely with a 27% and 20% uplift respectively. Furniture and clothing retailers have also seen significant uplift. The area with the lowest uplift was household goods.

Welcome to the new and exciting Metapack blog! We will be starting off our new blog with a focus on the Peak trading season. With only 15 days to go until Black Friday, we expect to see a massive increase in consumers buying goods online. Every year Metapack produces benchmarking reports to help the industry