Top e-commerce players in a post-pandemic era, set themselves apart from the competition by driving pure customer-centric experiences. Everything from the point of checkout to return services has kept the convenience of the customer in mind. Expounding on this and other important insights was the much anticipated Deliver 2022 that took place from the 8th to 9th of June, 2022. Deliver 2022 saw 12 keynote plenary sessions at the in-person event. Each session covering an important section of the logistics and e-commerce industry from key customer centric e-commerce brands such as Lush, Unilever and FarEye. At Deliver 202, headphones were handed out to every participant so that you could hear the keynote sessions in audio, no matter where you were at the conference. In its 7th year, Deliver saw a host of players in logistics and e-commerce come together to deliver key takeaways on customer-centric strategies and sustainability with a particular emphasis on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) experiences. 

Why are customer-centric e-commerce experiences so important? 

The shift away from prioritizing profit over the customer has seen a shift in recent years. Particularly in the post-pandemic era companies need to manage shifts in the structure of their businesses to value building excellent customer experiences as the primary goal. 

Building stronger relationships with customers are made easier with a larger emphasis on digitisation. Everything from the platform customers shop from online to the delivery notifications they receive and even parcel tracking and returns in the last-mile and beyond is able to display important data insights on customer behavior and spending habits. 

A simple returns policy, for example, can be the key differentiator between an e-commerce business and its competition and driving customer loyalty by improving customer retention. 

How can hybrid shopping experiences propel these experiences forward? 

When it comes to the AR/VR or AI industry, investors have a high interest in funding businesses who are growing in that potential- particularly for retailers. At Deliver 2022, it was noted that even before 2019, these initiatives were already accelerating their entrance into the market. 

In a post-pandemic world, this shift is even more noticeable. Trying on lipstick varieties or glasses, for example, can be as simple as pointing your mobile phone camera on yourself. Thai elevates the entire online shopping experience into one that allows you to feel as if you are in a store- but still within the comfort of your home. 

This next-level omni-channel experience has brands to deliver more consistent customer experience while providing multiple touchpoints for consumers to move seamlessly from channel to channel. All in all, the innovative use of technologies allows brand sto differentiate themselves and stamp out any friction that might have occurred when customers shifted to online shopping experiences. 

Key trends for top e-commerce businesses in a post-pandemic climate 

Digitalization of end-to-end delivery experiences 

Customer facing digital services such as parcel lockers or in-post has been a huge industry trend as with returns in the last two years particularly in Europe. The trend toward more sustainable practices and consumer behavior has propelled this shift to accelerate in 2022. These locker solutions contribute to both convenience and sustainability- two important aspects of last-mile trends that have seen an uptick in recent years. 

18-35 year olds now make up the largest majority of online shopping audiences at 67% of the online consumer market and their dependence on technology to provide an end-to-end delivery experience is clear. “They just don’t have a printer at home to print out labels,” said Daniel Corebtt, Metapack Group. 

Automating operational experiences in warehousing 

When it comes to promoting sustainable growth for most e-commerce businesses, automating operations has seen a major uptick. The challenges of labor with baby boomers fast retiring has led to a declining labor force that is less focused on operational or manual tasks. Additionally, the e-commerce warehouse looks very different to traditional bulk warehouses used for brick and mortar stores. Restructuring labor away from the pick-up zone to introduce robotics instead has seen much improvement in fulfillment practices and improved overall productivity in transportation of goods from warehouse to purchase orders. Denis Niezogoda from Locus Robotics stated that this was simply an “entry level point into automation” that will see more growth in the upcoming years.  

Looking ahead with a post-pandemic mindset

Change is the only constant and no other industry exemplifies this more than the e-commerce and logistics one. As companies embrace customer-centric experiences and build structures and workflows to empower those areas of focus, competition to drive customer loyalty in the long run becomes the key focus for any business looking to gain the lion share in the market.