1. Reduce Cart Abandonment with Competitive Shipping Costs
2. Leverage Multiple Courier Options for Better Reach
India’s geographic diversity makes reliable delivery across the country challenging. While metro cities have several courier options, Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities often face limited delivery choices. Relying on a single courier service can limit your reach and cause order delays.
Partnering with a shipping aggregator gives you access to multiple courier services, allowing you to offer wider coverage and faster delivery. For example, a shipping aggregator can help you choose the best courier for each region based on performance, cost, and delivery time. This flexibility ensures that orders reach customers faster, improving the overall customer experience and boosting repeat purchases.
3. Improve Delivery Speed and On-Time Performance
Fast delivery is a major factor in customer satisfaction. A survey by Wunderman Thompson found that 38% of Indian consumers expect deliveries within 2 hours, particularly for essentials. Even for non-essential items, over 72% of Indian shoppers expect next-day or two-day delivery.
Using regional fulfillment centers allows you to store inventory closer to customers, reducing transit time. This helps you offer faster delivery options and reduce Return-to-Origin (RTO) rates, which can reach as high as 25% for COD orders. Faster and more reliable delivery increases customer trust and conversion rates.
4. Offer Clear Return Policies and Real-Time Tracking
Trust is essential in Indian eCommerce. Clear and customer-friendly return policies make buyers feel more secure. Over 67% of Indian shoppers prefer buying from sellers with a hassle-free return policy. Clearly communicate delivery times, shipping charges, and return options on product pages to build confidence.
Providing real-time tracking through SMS, email, and WhatsApp updates reassures customers that their order is on track. Proactive communication about delays or delivery updates reduces uncertainty and increases the likelihood of future purchases.
5. Optimize for COD and Prepaid Orders
Cash on Delivery (COD) remains popular in India, accounting for nearly 65% of online orders. However, COD orders are prone to higher RTO rates. Implementing COD verification via OTP or call confirmation helps reduce fake orders and delivery failures.
Encourage prepaid orders by offering small incentives, such as discounts or reward points for digital payments. This reduces RTO rates and improves cash flow, leading to higher profitability.
