According to eCommerce fulfilment services Zendbox, offering later order cut-off times is crucial for driving conversion rates, customer loyalty, and revenue in the online retail sector. With research showing that 35% of online orders occur between 4pm and 9pm, Zendbox recently introduced a 10pm cut-off for next-day delivery. Clients utilising this extended cut-off have reported an average 15% increase in conversions.
James Khoury, CEO and founder of Zendbox, commented: “After analysing the eCommerce SMEs, and major brands that work with us, we have discovered that merchants who don’t offer late order cut-off times, are missing out on order conversions, and experiencing higher customer acquisition costs (CAC).”
Khoury further explained that many eCommerce businesses struggle to offer later cut-off times due to the need for advanced technology, warehouse logistics, and partnerships with carriers. “Most 3PL providers offer cut-off times between 12pm and 3pm, and many online brands fulfilling orders in-house have even earlier cut-off times. For the average consumer, this simply isn’t good enough,” he said.
Complete Strength’s founder, Rob Whitfield, has attracted new customers thanks to Zendbox’s extended cut-off time. He noted: “The majority of our orders will come in of an evening. When we had an earlier cut-off time, we missed out on sales. Now we’ve got a later cut-off time with Zendbox, we get less abandoned carts. We have also noticed customers are shopping with us simply because of the later cut-off time.”
In 2023, Zendbox processed over three million orders and works with prominent brands such as PRIME, USN, Puresport, and fourfive. The company integrates with sales channels like Shopify, Amazon, and eBay through its platform, Zendportal, which enhances inventory management and provides detailed supply chain insights.