Free delivery does it make you buy?

I am currently working for a client who is determined that they should charge a flat fee for delivery (fee is £10) however I am saying that the delivery charge should be worked into the price and then you advertise free delivery on your products.

So my question is how big a pull to buy is free delivery and do most people actually bother to calculate the difference

ie :

my client - product £178 + £10 delivery

Other peoples website product £188.00 free delivery

Although they are the same price my client argues to the eye his appears cheaper.

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I'm with you, I like to see free delivery, otherwise I think I'm being swindled.

Its the old ebay thing, everyone likes to make money on delivery charges.

Guess its down to the product and price, a £10 flat fee wouldnt work on a £20 product obviously, but if its a big bulky product, does the £10 cover the delivery cost, or are they making money on it?

Maybe cut the delivery charge to its actual cost, add that to the product price, and then quote free delivery?

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I used to buy my CD's from HMV online, rather than Amazon. HMV offered free delivery however minimal the order, whereas Amazon used to charge delivery on small orders. I'm pleased to say that Amazon have now wised up, and don't charge for deliveries at all.

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To be honest I think it depends what methods are going to be used for marketing the site and products.

For example, if you are going to use Google products and price comparison sites you are better off having the delivery and product cost separate as the more competitive the selling price, the more exposure you will get.

Most people who purchase off the Internet expect to pay some sort of delivery charge. Even the big boys ( Argos, John Lewis etc) charge delivery!

If a delivery charge is to be made it does have to be relevant to the item cost and size. I advice e-commerce sites to use a sliding scale for delivery charges based on weight and item cost and have never had a problem. What should be considered also is free delivery when an order is over a certain value (£250-£300)

For one client I did some consultancy for last year, we tested both free and charged delivery and what we gained from one marketing method we lost on another.........swings and roundabouts really

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He is right, it does appear cheaper to the user. As a rule purchasers look at the product price and disregard the delivery charge.

I remember reading a study/research paper a couple of years ago on the psychological process a purchaser goes through stating the above. I can't for the life of me remember who published it but if I can find it I'll post a link later

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I like to see free delivery.

Otherwise you can spend ages choosing products which you think are a good price, only to find at the checkout that they've added £10 for delivery at which point I often abandon the checkout and look elsewhere. Also, at that point they often add the VAT and the delivery charge and what seemed like a good price no longer is.

If I shop at Amazon or Play.com I know I'll get free delivery so I know exactly where I stand.

Regards

Tom

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I spent a while working in a packing room for an online shopping company so I'm always conscious that 'delivery' doesn't just mean the charge applied by Royal Mail, it's also things like boxes, bubblewrap, and the wages for some unfortunate person with a thousand cardboard-cuts on their hands who's been so desperate for a job they've applied for everything... as such I don't object to P&P charges as long as they're not extortionate.

That said, by the time an order gets past about £100 I usually expect delivery charges to be waived for anything under, say, 10kg. I'm not saying £10 delivery charge would make or break a purchasing decision, but I'd feel a bit surprised.

Delivery AND installation, I would happily pay £10.

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I'd much rather but from somewhere that offered 'free delivery' even if I'm not saving any money on the product. Its just a way that online shops entice you in.

Sometimes you can also find that delivery charges cost you more than the product itself

If you charge delivery you need to be transparent about it (have it on the product page) and not have it hidden at the checkout point. This avoids the abandoned shopping carts are stated above.

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I agree. I tend to look for free delivery on eBay, not only because it is cheaper but chances are it is a reputable seller if they can afford to offer free delivery. I also use Play.com for ease of use and because postage is free no matter how big the order is.

Simon

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