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Hidden eCommerce Opportunities: What We Learned from Studying Negative Reviews During the 2022 Holiday Season

data report top consumer complaints of holiday shippingdata report top consumer complaints of holiday shipping

AfterShip analyzed more than 40,000 negative shipping reviews that nearly 4,000 global retailers collected from shoppers during the peak seasons (October 1 to December 31) of 2021 and 2022. The study also examined data from six eCommerce industries, including Computers, Electronics, Technology, Lifestyle, and more.

Highlights

The overall percentage of negative reviews was slightly less (-4.75%) in the 2022 peak season than in 2021. 

However, the Computers, Electronics, and Technology industry experienced a significant percentage increase (+109%) in the negative reviews in 2022.

The top four negative reviews during the 2021 and 2022 peak seasons were "Lost/stolen items," "Delayed," "Left in wrong spot," and "Poor communications."

The percentage of "Lost/stolen items" complaints was higher(+11.78%) in the 2022 peak season than in 2021. 

Negative reviews vs. all reviews (all industries)

negative review vs all reviewnegative review vs all review

Negative reviews by industry

negative reviews by industriesnegative reviews by industries

Negative shipping reviews breakdown (all industries)

negative shipping reviews breakdownnegative shipping reviews breakdown

How to create an exceptional post-purchase experience

Utilize shipping insurance to protect the company from the potential financial loss associated with lost/stolen items.

Leverage shipment analytics to optimize carrier performance and ensure timely delivery during peak seasons. 

Provide accurate shipping and tracking information, and stay in contact with customers on any exceptions related to their shipments to improve customer satisfaction.

Methodology

This analysis examined 3,829 retailers worldwide with AfterShip Tracking. Out of these retailers, 3,610 of them had received negative reviews, which totaled to 43,819 negative reviews collected during the peak shopping seasons (from October 1 to December 31) in 2021 and 2022. The following breakdown is a snapshot of the number of stores in six of the popular holiday industries that we analyzed:

Verticals

Stores with negative reviews (Peak 21’)

Stores with negative reviews (Peak 22’)

Computers, Electronics, and Technology

108

256

Food and Drink

83

140

Health

118

198

Home and Garden

125

159

Lifestyle

558

554

Sports

100

127

Updated:

March 13, 2023

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