Royal Mail International has developed a new tracked returns service for Australian online shoppers buying from British retailers in cooperation with Australia Post to encourage further growth of a major cross-border e-commerce trade route.
Australian online shoppers buy regularly from overseas websites and as many as 30% of them purchase from UK sites, according to a recent study commissioned by Royal Mail. Of these shoppers, the average spend on UK websites is $70 (£39) per month.
The key reasons that Australian shoppers cited for shopping on UK sites were availability (76%), lower prices (60%) and a love of UK brands (59%). Significantly, 80% of online shoppers in Australia trust items purchased from UK sites to be genuine brands, reducing the risk of buying fake products.
However, returns are also an important topic. Over one in ten (12%) Australian online shoppers has returned an item purchased from a UK site, the Royal Mail research found. But almost three quarters (74%) would be unlikely to shop with a retailer following a difficult return experience, compared to the international average of 66%.
Moreover, there is high pent-up demand among Australian online shoppers to be able to track their purchases and returns. The research found that 73% of Australian online shoppers would track every item they order if the service was available, while 75% consider it important to be able to track a return to a retailer.
In response to this customer demand, Royal Mail International has developed a new tracked returns service in Australia to give customers confidence and provide peace of mind, alongside giving retailers greater visibility of their stock.
Under the Tracked Returns service, Royal Mail sets retailers up on a secure returns portal where a retailer can design a branded returns page and direct customers there by providing a web link. Customers register for access to the returns site and receive a confirmation e-mail containing a link to download the returns label with instructions on how to post the return item.
The return package is delivered using a tracked service provided by Australia Post to an in-country hub for transport back to the UK. When returned items arrive in the UK, they are delivered to the designated ‘returns’ address via Royal Mail’s tracked domestic network.
The Royal Mail research also looked at the general behaviour of Australian shoppers and found that over eight in ten (81%) use digital marketplaces, with eBay, Gumtree and Amazon as the top three. The average consumer in Australia spends A$160 per month shopping (excluding groceries), with a high A$132 of this (or 83%) spent online. The top-selling online products are clothes (39%), books (24%) and holidays/travel (17%).
The delivery experience is also important. For example, three quarters (75%) consider delivery ratings influential when shopping on digital marketplaces, compared to 58% in the UK.
A spokesperson for Royal Mail said: “Australia is an attractive market for exporters. The country has high internet penetration, widespread use of English as a main language and a high potential for international e-commerce sales.
“For UK businesses wanting to grow internationally, it's important to understand the distinct shopping habits of consumers in different countries. At Royal Mail, we have experience delivering into 230 countries and territories worldwide. Retailers that tune into the different ways in which consumers shop across the globe, are likely to be more successful on an international scale.”
