[CONTENU PARTENAIRE] At a time when e-commerce continues to grow, the computerized management of home delivery must adapt to the behavior of e-consumers. To do this, the Descartes company has developed logistics solutions to help distributors stand out from the competition and gain market share. In the company of Fabien Petitjean, Senior Solutions Consultant, focus on a growing business sector.
Can you introduce us to the Descartes company and its sector of activity?
Created in 1981 in Canada, Descartes has become in 30 years the world leader in tailor-made SaaS (Software as a Service) solutions designed to increase the productivity, performance and security of logistics companies.
Descartes offers a panel of logistics management solutions and modular supply chains to route, plan, track and measure deliveries; to allocate necessary resources and manage shipments; to rate and pay transportation-related bills; to access global trade data; to file customs and security documents for international imports and exports.
In 2022, Descartes achieved a turnover of 486 million dollars. This constantly rising figure has been made possible thanks to the 26,000 customers who trust us worldwide and our 2,100 employees.
You conducted a study with the firm Sapio Research in order to identify customer expectations. What does the result of this study tell us?
Indeed, we conducted, with the firm Sapio Research, a study on a panel made up of a thousand e-buyers in France. Finalized last February, the results of this study enabled us to identify a certain number of trends in order to better understand consumer expectations in terms of e-commerce and their degree of satisfaction or dissatisfaction.
Among the 1,000 consumers surveyed, 44% say they make online purchases at least every two weeks, corresponding to an increase of 14% compared to the 2021/2022 period. On the other hand, 49% of the panel say they intend to increase the frequency of their online purchases, whether the packages are delivered directly to their homes or via relay points. This trend demonstrates that the cost of delivery is once again becoming one of the determining points of online purchases, unlike the method of delivery. E-buyers will tend to choose the cheapest delivery, even if it means having to go to a pick-up point to pick up their package.
Delivery is at the heart of e-commerce challenges. 65% of complaints relate to delivery times. Among the 1,000 consumers surveyed, ⅔ said they had encountered delivery problems over the last three months. Among them, 25% go so far as to declare that they have lost confidence and do not wish to repeat the experience with the same seller.
Finally, while 76% of consumers say they take the environment into account during the purchasing process, only 15% of them consider this criterion to be decisive.
What can we conclude about the major issues related to the delivery of products and services purchased online?
It is obvious that the more ecommerce develops, the more e-consumers have rigorous expectations. In 2021, 1.7 billion parcels were delivered in France for a growth of 14.9%. As we can see, e-commerce has a big economic value. In line with this study, we understand that delivery should in no way constitute a barrier or a hindrance to placing an order. The good financial health of companies depends on it. Thus, the challenge for companies is to succeed in offering a maximum of delivery options to customers without this quest for satisfaction impacting the company’s performance.
The issues related to delivery are numerous: the cost of delivery, the shipping method, the delivery time and the time slots. All these criteria, not to be taken lightly, are a real challenge for companies. It is here that Descartes’ logistics solutions take on their full meaning with companies and distributors, allowing them to combine performance, safety and attractiveness.
How do companies adapt to consumer expectations to differentiate themselves from their competition via their delivery service?
Companies are committed to satisfying customers’ expectations better and better. For example, many companies offer detailed delivery tracking from when the order is picked up until the package arrives safely. At any time, the customer can connect and follow the progress of the delivery. This type of innovative solution represents real added value, increasing the stratification and confidence of customers who will be more likely to recommend to the same distributor. Finally, companies have integrated environmental issues into their delivery policy by offering eco-friendly alternatives.
All these measures illustrate the real desire of companies to meet the expectations of their customers. Resilient companies no longer hesitate to question and develop their operating methods by constantly offering new alternatives.
This content was produced with SCRIBEO. The BFMBUSINESS editorial staff did not participate in the production of this content.
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