New Research from Kurt Salmon, part of Accenture Strategy, Reveals Retailers on Santa’s Nice List for Holiday Shipping

Luxury brands dominate the top of the list of retailers delivering
exceptional customer service

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–It’s the most competitive time of the year for retailers, and many
pulled out all the stops to ensure customers received their orders
quickly and accurately in time for the holiday season. According to Kurt
Salmon, part of Accenture Strategy, luxury goods consumers were top
of the list for experiencing a speedy delivery in the 2016 Holiday
Shipping survey.

The study, which took place during Cyber Monday, saw online orders being
placed from 84 retailers across a broad range of categories, including
traditional big boxes, speciality retailers and online-only e-tailers.
The study analysed online orders that were shipped to consumers, as well
as those collected in-store, to measure shipping speed, accuracy and
cost.

Santa’s Nice List for 2016 Holiday Shipping – Fastest Delivery Times
Delivered
in 2 Days: Coach
Delivered in 3 Days: American Eagle,
Burberry*, Kate Spade
Delivered in 4 Days: Lululemon, DSW,
GNC, Nordstrom, Target, Zappos*
* Retailers on Santa’s Nice
List 2015

“Luxury retailers took the lead in delivering excellent customer service
around fulfilment this Cyber Monday, with the fastest retailers
delivering goods in an average of 3.5 days,” said Steve Osburn, managing
director, Kurt
Salmon, part of Accenture Strategy. “Retailers are very aware of the
unprecedented change taking place in the industry, and are under great
pressure to deliver against rapidly changing consumer expectations.
Ensuring they are operationally robust to fulfil customer orders and
deliveries around a hugely emotive time of year is crucial for
organizations wanting to build lasting loyalty. Being nothing less than
a well-oiled machine at this time of year is simply not an option.”

Execution improves for all

While the top retailers excelled, many more were in close pursuit. 17
percent of retailers delivered within the first week of Cyber Monday,
and the vast majority (94 percent) delivered packages within two weeks,
compared to 82 percent in 2015. Overall delivery times improved to 8.3
calendar days, compared to 8.7 in 2015. Furthermore, only 12 percent of
orders encountered an error – such as a cancelled, missing or incorrect
item – compared to 15 percent in 2015.

A smarter, more accurate service

Retailers were smarter about what they offered for buy online, pick-up
in store (BOPUS) on Black Friday, offering a limited selection. While
the percentage of late orders changed minimally from 2015 to 2016, there
was an improvement in the number of cancelled items. In 2016, 26 percent
of orders had a cancelled item, compared to 34 percent in 2015. Just
over half (55 percent) of retailers delivered all orders correctly,
compared to just 30 percent in 2015.

Free shipping and flexible delivery options

While 92 percent of retailers offered a way for customers to get free
shipping, 2016 saw more retailers (39 percent) add a minimum spend for
free shipping. The percentage of retailers offering a BOPUS or reserve
in-store option remained flat compared to 2015, with 52 percent of
retailers offering an in-store pick-up option.

About the research

Kurt
Salmon, part of Accenture Strategy, placed orders with 84 retailers,
across a broad range of categories, including traditional big boxes,
speciality retailers and online-only e-tailers, on Black Friday and
Cyber Monday 2016. The study analysed online orders that were shipped to
consumers, as well as those collected in-store, to measure shipping
speed, accuracy and cost.

About Accenture

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) is a leading global professional services company,
providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy,
consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched
experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all
business functions – underpinned by the world’s largest delivery network
– Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help
clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their
stakeholders. With approximately 384,000 people serving clients in more
than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the
world works and lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com.

Accenture
Strategy operates at the intersection of business and technology. We
bring together our capabilities in business, technology, operations and
function strategy to help our clients envision and execute
industry-specific strategies that support enterprise wide
transformation. Our focus on issues related to digital disruption,
competitiveness, global operating models, talent and leadership help
drive both efficiencies and growth. For more information, follow @AccentureStrat
or visit www.accenture.com/strategy.

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Contacts

Accenture
Justyna Gnyp, +44 750 012 4567
justyna.gnyp@accenture.com
or
Accenture
Lucy
Davies, +44 777 3044 808
Lucy.d.davies@accenture.com