Consumers prefer pick-up  

Over the past year, all the main methods of delivering items from Russian online stores have shown growth. There is one exception: the popularity of in-person (courier) delivery has remained the same, while urgent courier delivery has dropped in popularity. 

The most popular delivery method is store pick-up, preferred by 69% of consumers. And more and more people choose to pick up purchases from self-service parcel lockers. Every fifth customer has received their order this way at least once.

Delivery methods from Russian online stores

Percentage of respondents who used this delivery method in the last 12 months

For comparison, here is the percentage of respondents who prefer this delivery method because it's the most convenient

Factors influencing choice: time and proximity to home

Many consumers value the opportunity to pick up a purchase at a convenient time, and they choose pick-up from the store or from parcel lockers as the best way to do this. Proximity to home is an important factor for those who prefer to receive items by Russian Post or in parcel lockers. And most of those who choose in-person delivery by courier find it convenient because they don't need to go anywhere.

Preferred delivery method: reasons

Percentage of respondents who indicated this reason in favor of the chosen delivery method

Delivery timeframe: from 3 days within Moscow to 1 month from abroad

Consumers' expectations for delivery in Russia largely depend on the city of residence. Residents of Moscow consider 3 days to be a reasonable delivery timeframe. For consumers from other major cities, the expectation is 5 days. For delivery to small cities with a population of less than 100,000, residents say that 7 days is reasonable.

When ordering items from other countries, most Russian buyers expect delivery in 15 to 30 days.

Buyers receive orders from abroad via Russian Post

Russian Post remains the most common way to get items when ordering in non-Russian online stores, but its popularity is falling slightly each year. 

At the same time, the number of people who choose delivery to parcel lockers is growing.

Delivery methods from non-Russian online stores

Percentage of respondents who used this method of delivery

Last year, 22% of buyers from Russia used the services of delivery aggregators. Their share has remained stable over the past 4 years. For Moscow, these figures are higher: 29% of respondents turned to intermediaries to deliver their purchases from other countries.

Multi-order delivery: everything at once

When ordering several items from the same store, most buyers prefer to wait and get everything at once in one box. However, 20% of buyers prioritize the speed of delivery and the ability to get some items faster — they prefer to get their order in multiple deliveries.

About free shipping

In 2019, as before, stores actively used discounts and special offers to increase demand. According to research, the most attractive offer when making a purchase is free shipping. This option was indicated by 63% of respondents. The next most popular were a sale price on the item (46%), bonuses and cashback on a bank card (41%), and a discount using a promo code or coupon (30%). 

The age of buyers affects their choice of promotions and special offers — the older they are, the more likely they are to prefer free shipping.