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More than half (56%) of Canadian consumers said they are less likely to order an item that requires shipping from overseas than they were a year ago
A third (33%) said that if delivery or pick-up of an item takes longer than two days, they will look elsewhere
Ontario, CANADA – January 11, 2022 – As the global supply chain crisis continues to disrupt the retail industry, Canadian consumers are being forced to change their shopping habits and buy local for speed and availability, new retail research from SOTI has found.
Canadians are feeling the effects of supply chain issues firsthand, with over half (57%) of Canadian consumers saying they have recently experienced one or more items not being available, have had to purchase alternatives when preferred products were not available, or have had to go to different retailers to find items in stock. Worse still, over one third (35%) of shoppers said items they wanted to purchase have not been available at all.
Compounding these supply issues, more than a third (36%) said they feel delivery times have been slower than usual and more than half (56%) said that shipping/delivery time is the most frustrating aspect of ordering online.
Unwilling to compromise on speed and availability, Canadian consumers are now paying special attention to the purchase journey. A third (33%) said that if delivery or pick-up of an item takes longer than two days, they will look elsewhere. Meanwhile, with deliveries from outside their own country now taking longer to arrive, more than half (56%) of Canadian consumers have changed their habits, saying they are now less likely to order an item that requires shipping from overseas than they were a year ago.
As part of the From Clicks to Ships: Navigating the Global Supply Chain 2022 Report, SOTI surveyed 1,000 consumers across Canada (10,000 consumers globally) to understand how Canadian consumers are responding to the supply chain crisis, as well as their expectations of brands and retailers to cope with it.
Changing Consumer Attitudes and Behaviours Set to Continue
It’s clear from the findings that Canadian consumers are unwilling to give retailers any leeway. When asked about their expectations and intentions:
- Over two thirds (72%) agreed that they now expect to know where their order is throughout the delivery process at all times
- More than half (66%) agree they are continuing to shop with brands that can deliver goods the fastest
- More than half (53%) agree they would be more likely to shop from a retailer’s store if multiple return points were offered
- Over one third (33%) agreed that knowing who a retailer’s delivery partner is has resulted in them not completing an order with that retailer
Evolving in a State of Flux
The onus is now on Canadian retailers to adapt to these behaviours and match up with consumer preferences.
“With global supply chain issues continuing to hold the Canadian retail industry in a state of fluctuation, brands and retailers are being tasked with figuring out how to approach changing consumer preferences and impatience. As they look to alter their go-to-market strategies in response to these issues, it is imperative they do so with insightful data at their disposal and maintain a level of flexibility that will allow them to serve the best possible customer experience, no matter where or how Canadian consumers want to shop,” explains Shash Anand, VP of Product Strategy at SOTI.
Looking to the future, when asked if they would consider using any of the following alternative delivery options in 2022, 59% of Canadian consumers said they would consider in-store delivery/collection (“click and collect”/buy online and pick-up in store) and 38% would consider delivery to a designated drop-off point.
Canadians are also open to even more significant changes in the way they receive their goods as technology advances. Almost half (47%) said they would consider either autonomous vehicles to deliver larger packages to their home or other convenient location, or delivery drones to deliver small packages (41%).
“Today’s Canadian consumer is interacting with retailers on a greater range of channels, mobile devices and media types than ever before. As a result, retailers require mobile-enabled operational intelligence to diagnose and fix problems quickly to meet developing consumer needs and preferences. With advanced mobility management and diagnostic intelligence solutions, Canadian retailers can ensure they are providing their consumers the choice and flexibility they so desire while also guaranteeing they and their logistics partners are prepared for any and all possibilities,” concludes Anand at SOTI.
From Clicks to Ships: Navigating the Global Supply Chain Crisis 2022 Report can be downloaded here.
Report Methodology
10,000 interviews were conducted using an online methodology with adults aged 18 to 65 years old with nationally representative quotas on gender, age and region set at country-level between November 20 and December 2, 2021. The 10,000 interviews are split across eight markets as follows: Canada (1,000 respondents), U.S. (2,000 respondents), Mexico (1,000 respondents), UK (2,000 respondents), Germany (1,000 respondents), Sweden (1,000 respondents), France (1,000 respondents) and Australia (1,000 respondents).
About SOTI
SOTI is the world’s most trusted provider of mobile and IoT management solutions, with more than 17,000 enterprise customers and millions of devices managed worldwide. SOTI’s innovative portfolio of solutions and services provide the tools organizations need to truly mobilize their operations and optimize their mobility investments. SOTI extends secure mobility management to provide an integrated solution to manage and secure all mobile devices and connected peripherals in an organization.
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