Hong Kong online shoppers' wishlist includes discounts, easy exchange services

Consumers are demanding a better online shopping experience. Easy exchange and return services top online customers’ wish list, according to the latest report from SAP. SAP has released Hong Kong findings from the latest SAP Consumer Propensity Study, which surveyed more than 1,000 Hong Kong shoppers as part of the study of more than 20,000 global shoppers on their online shopping behaviour, including their motivation to purchase online, and their views on how brands can improve the overall customer experience.Consumers in Hong Kong are accustomed to online shopping, with 64% of shoppers completing purchases within the day if they were to complete the shopping journey, demonstrating decisiveness compared to shoppers in other markets, according to the report.The report shows the top three things that drive Hong Kong shoppers to make the decision to purchase are: receiving discount or promotion notifications (56%), receiving discount with purchase notifications (36%) and receiving timely response to a query (25%).The survey has collected a wish list from customers. It finds that the top service people looked for is easier exchange and return services, such as free return labels or nearby lockers(58%); followed by including comparison tools to compare prices and specifications (50%) and offering different sizes or types of the item to try out before deciding which version to purchase (44%).SAP suggested that brands need to improve exchange and return process in order to convert online shoppers to customers.Study also explores cart abandonment tendencies, where Hong Kong consumers indicated that the main reasons for cart abandonment are higher-than-expected shipping costs(42%), lack of promotions or discounts(39%) and preferring to browse online for price comparisions but buy elsewhere(39%).When it comes to abandoning virtual shopping carts, 51% of Hong Kong consumers discard their carts sometimes or all the time, just as likely as other shoppers across Asia Pacific (52%) – ahead of North America (46%) and Europe (43%) on average. "Reviewing cart abandonment data provides a starting point for retailers to identify friction points in the consumer journey and make improvements to the overall purchasing experience for Hong Kong's customers,"  Frank Zhang, General Manager of Greater China, SAP Customer Experience said. "The results point toward a deeper demand from Hong Kong consumers for engaging yet simplified buying experiences tailored to their individual needs and lifestyles, which extends to ongoing service and support." he added.