Evri and Zara flop as shoppers flag online delivery as kind of a big deal

Chatermill research, based on customer reviews, reveals delivery to be one of the biggest issues for retail customers, with speed and timeliness being key contributors to the negative sentiment received by some of the most popular fashion retail brands.

Chattermill analysed feedback from over 152,000 public Trustpilot reviews, registered from 1st January to 4th September, from customers buying at Asos, H&M, New Look, Next and Zara.

Based on ratings given by customers, New Look and Asos have the best customer experience, while Zara has the worst.

Delivery complaints frequently centre on the fact that despite stating on their websites a limited number of days for delivering purchases — usually around two to four days — packages tend to be delayed, with items frequently arriving out of the suggested timeframe.

An explanation for this could be linked to the courier service used by the fashion brands analysed. Based on the feedback collected from customers, Evri (formerly Hermes) is the most problematic courier brand, followed by DHL and Yodel in number of negative reviews.

As is reflected in the data, this negativity carries over to the companies that use them.

Return policies, especially those tied to Christmas shopping, also tend to be a source of stress for customers.

The data puts Zara as the worst brand for returns and refunds.

One of the biggest drivers for customer dissatisfaction with that brand is related to issues registered with size and fitting for the brand’s products.

According to the reviews, it has the worst size and fit out of the five retailers analysed. The products with the most size problems are trousers, dresses and jeans. These are also the top three products most frequently returned by customers.

Dmitry Isupov, Chief Strategy & Insights Officer and Co-Founder of Chattermill, says, “Delivery is one of the most important aspects customers take notice of during the Christmas shopping rush. Everyone wants to make sure their gifts will get to them on time for the holidays.”

“Since retailers choose their delivery partners, it’s crucial they consider the feedback given by their customers throughout the year about the delivery experience.”

“This way, retailers can understand and benchmark the quality of service their delivery partner is providing and prevent it from becoming an invisible thorn in their reputation.”

“Interestingly, negative sentiment about delivery comes from the misalignment between expectations and reality vs the absolute speed or cost of the delivery, so it’s critical to stay on top of whether your customers are getting the service they were promised.”

“Companies should also share customer feedback with their delivery partners to help them improve their service and manage customer expectations.”

Evri responds

A spokesperson for Evri told RTIH: “As the UK’s leading dedicated parcel company, Evri is currently delivering over three million parcels each day and we pride ourselves on offering a fast, reliable, sustainable service which doesn’t cost the earth for consumers and businesses alike.”

“Like others in the delivery sector, we are currently experiencing higher than normal volumes driven by the Royal Mail strikes at an exceptionally busy time of year.”

“Evri is rated great on Trustpilot, based on over three million independent reviews and we have a loyal client base, including over 80% of the high street, and our biggest clients have worked with us for an average of 10 years.”

“We have made significant investments to improve our service as we grow, adding dedicated customer service teams operating seven days a week in depots; building the biggest parcel distribution hub in Europe, in Barnsley; and expanded our network of ParcelShops and Lockers, which help customers to send and receive parcels at over 10,000 locations nationwide, improving first time delivery rates and reducing the carbon footprint of each delivery.”

“Chattermill did not contact Evri in advance to share their methodology or analysis and therefore we cannot comment on their data.”