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## Consumer Expectations for the Post-Purchase Experience

Conducted on behalf of Flowspace by

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## About Flowspace

Flowspace powers independent fulfillment.

With best-in-class fulfillment software and services, Flowspace provides brands with the visibility and insight needed to orchestrate and optimize fulfillment, from any location, to any end customer.

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## Research

## Objective

Gain insights into customer expectations surrounding the post-purchase experience of e-commerce.

Analyze the various aspects of the ![Image17]post-purchase experience that contribute to building brand loyalty and driving repurchase behavior.

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## Approach

## Survey participants

At least **1x/month** shopping

**28%** in-app purchase 1x to 2-3x/week

**1126** responses gathered

● 950 respondents after data cleaning

● 55% Female 44% Male 1% Other

**above 65**  
3.2%

## Focus group participants

2 in-app purchasers

Age: 22-25

4 women, 2 men

**2 sessions:** centered around in-app experiences and expectations

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## Executive Summary

1. More than 80% of customers expect regular updates about the status of their products throughout the order fulfillment process, from purchase confirmation to delivery.

2. The majority of customers are unlikely to repurchase if they experience poor customer service, receive the wrong product, or if their item arrives damaged or late.

3. Post-purchase brand attributes that increase trust and drive repurchase behavior include free shipping, quick and effective customer service, fast shipping, and communication/updates about shipping timeline.

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## Majority of consumers believe it is important for companies to communicate during the order fulfillment process.

From the time an order is created until it’s received in their hands, more than 80% of consumers expect to receive regular updates about the status of their products.

## When to communicate:

83% Shipping updates  
82% Initial shipment notification  
81% Upon delivery

Consumers also wish to be notified about the following events:

● Change in expected arrival time (both early or late)

## 76% Purchase confirmation

● Damaged or missing items  
● Cancellation of orders  
● Out-of-stock items

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## A bad post-purchase experience impacts brand engagement and trust.

## Shipping and delivery:

Delayed shipping decreases brand loyalty and repurchasing behavior.

Items arriving late raised concerns about trust and security.

Quality of packaging and carrier have an impact on the post-purchase experience.

The majority are unlikely to repurchase for the following events:

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|Attributes that Impact Brand Trust and| |According to majority of consumers, the following brand attributes increase their trust:|
|---|---|---|
|Engagement|Free shipping| |
|Consumers expectations for the post-purchase experience are high. They expect fast shipping, at little to no cost to|Quick and effective customer service| |
|them. They also expect efficient customer service, and|Consistent quality of the product| |
|regular updates on the status of their e-commerce orders.|Fast shipping |Communication/updates about shipping timeline|

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## Order fulfillment

**performance becomes a**  
**key differentiator for online**  
**retailers in generating**  
**customer loyalty.**  
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## Exceeding customer expectations

Exceeding customer expectations is key to **customer satisfaction,**  
**delight, and loyalty (Kotler, 2000).**

Longer lead times could reduce customers’ channel acceptance and loyalty (Gawor & Hoberg, 2018).

● Consumers are becoming less understanding of delayed shipping & delivery (Gramling et al., 2021).

Unless expectations are met in the total shopping, purchase, or service experience, there is less likelihood that customers will feel satisfied or lean towards building loyalty to an e-retailer (Anderson & Srinivasan, 2011).

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