Dive Brief:

• A clear majority of consumers in a new survey (66%)  said shipping costs are their “biggest online shopping pet peeve,” according to a Harris Poll of 2,241 American adults conducted June 11 to 16. 81% said free shipping would make them more likely to shop online, and 70% said free returns would be an enticement. 

• The runner-up complaint (38%) was receiving an item that didn’t resemble the online photo, the poll found. 16% don’t like being automatically added to a retailer’s email list, and 14% don’t like return hassles.

• Still, 22% said they’d pay more for same-day or overnight delivery; more than a third of younger people said so.

Dive Insight:

While the benefits to retailers of same-day delivery or other super-speedy shipping options remain less clear, free or low-cost shipping options do seem to grease the skids and lead shoppers to complete online purchases.