Bolton-based online parcel delivery specialist Parcel2Go has given its backing to a recent internet shopping survey, which found that high delivery charges had led many consumers to abandon purchases.

A survey of 2,000 UK consumers, carried out by ecommerce specialist Econsultancy, found that nearly three-quarters of people (74 per cent) had abandoned an online purchase because they thought the charge for having their product delivered was too high.

Parcel2Go’s marketing director Richard Mercer says this is an issue that all online retailers should be aware of, and work towards addressing.

He said: “The fact that so many consumers have been in the position where they are all ready to go ahead with a purchase, and then have decided to abandon it at the last minute, should certainly start alarm bells ringing with firms. Excessive delivery charges are something that online shoppers are clearly not prepared to put up with.

“Of course the majority of online businesses are not able to go down the same route as the major players such as Amazon and Play.com and offer free parcel delivery as standard, but this survey highlights how important it is to get delivery charges right.”

Parcel2Go helps individuals and businesses arrange shipping of more than two million parcels to destinations in the UK and across the world every year. By partnering with some of the leading world courier companies such as FedEx, City Link and Parcelforce, Parcel2Go is able to offer its customers access to a huge range of competitively-priced domestic and international delivery services.

Mr Mercer added: “The internet has made it easier than ever for businesses to organise their parcel deliveries, and so by offering low-cost, reliable courier services with parcel tracking through their site, firms can increase the number of shoppers who complete purchases at the checkout.”

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