--- description: We surveyed UK online shoppers about their use and expectations of quick commerce services. What platforms do they use, and what do they buy? Read more here. image: https://gdm-localsites-assets-gfprod.imgix.net/images/software_advice/og_logo-55146305bbe7b450bea05c18e9be9c9a.png title: How do UK consumers feel about quick commerce services? --- # Q-commerce: Are UK online consumers opting for fast-delivery services? Canonical: https://www.softwareadvice.co.uk/blog/3683/quick-commerce-usage-uk Published on 31/05/2023 | Written by Sukanya Awasthi. ![Q-commerce: Are UK online consumers opting for fast-delivery services?](https://images.ctfassets.net/63bmaubptoky/46IakDd3p0HT4IiHiSPUBB/39dbe8f64e8fb419a3254f5a9ef5895c/Quick_commerce-UK-SA-Header.png) > To explore consumer use and expectations of quick commerce services, Software Advice surveyed over 1,000 online shoppers in the UK. What platforms do they use the most for q-commerce deliveries, and what kinds of items are they purchasing? ----- ## Article Content To explore consumer use and expectations of quick commerce services, Software Advice surveyed over 1,000 online shoppers in the UK. What platforms do they use the most for q-commerce deliveries, and what kinds of items are they purchasing?In this article35% haven't used q-commerce but are interested in trying it61% of q-commerce users order via third-party delivery apps or websitesNearly 4 in 10 q-commerce customers expect delivery in under 30 minutesThe pros and cons of quick commerceThe study highlightsAfter analysing UK consumer sentiment around mobile commerce purchases, in the second part of this series we look at another segment of eCommerce called quick commerce or q-commerce. Q-commerce offers consumers the possibility to quickly receive deliveries of groceries, restaurant orders, or small quantities of lightweight goods on their doorstep, often within the hour. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic this form of delivery provided a convenient alternative to in-store shopping, and possibly contributed to the growth of this sector of the food and consumer goods industry in the UK. According to insights provider IGD, ‘the UK quick commerce market has grown by nearly 10% year-on-year to £1.5bn’. Not only has it become a competitive market due to the influx of foreign companies ready to compete with the local vendors, but companies like Deliveroo and Uber Eats are also further intensifying competition in the space by partnering with supermarkets and convenience stores to broaden their offer.To provide insights for small and midsize businesses (SMEs) about consumer preferences regarding rapid delivery and how companies offering this option can leverage technology to help meet customer expectations, Software Advice conducted research around the use of quick commerce for online purchases. The study was conducted through an online survey of 1,013 participants residing in the UK who shop online at least once a month. The full methodology can be found at the bottom of the article. 35% haven't used q-commerce but are interested in trying itQuick commerce is a relatively new business model, and although the majority (a combined 62%) of online shoppers we surveyed knew of the concept of q-commerce, many had not heard of the name. However, over a third had either never heard of it (22%) or didn't know what the term meant (16%). What is q-commerce?Quick commerce, or q-commerce, is a subcategory of eCommerce where the items are delivered to users at the doorstep via quick deliveries that typically take less than an hour. Compared to traditional delivery services that rely on websites and phone calls, q-commerce usually makes use of mobile apps to place and fulfil orders. Users can track their orders, make payments online, and raise disputes. When we looked at the use of q-commerce services among UK consumers, we found that around a third of survey-takers have used a quick commerce service, with a further third interested in trying it. The remaining third said they were not interested in these services, but only 3% of respondents said they had used q-commerce and are not interested in using it again.Why have some UK consumers not tried q-commerce services?We asked those respondents who are interested in trying q-commerce why they haven't used these services yet and discovered that:33% don't know how q-commerce platforms or apps work30% forget it's an option23% say it's not available in their area10% say these services don't offer what they would like to buyThese results show the potential for businesses offering quick delivery to target new customers by promoting these services and educating customers on how to use them. One way to do this could be through the use of mobile marketing software to reach and engage potential customers via text messages and promotional offers.However, as we saw earlier, around 3 out of 10 respondents haven't tried q-commerce because they aren’t interested in using these services. Half of this group (50%) said the main reason for their lack of interest is that they don't want to pay extra money for the delivery. A further 19% said they prefer to shop physically, while 12% said they don't want to use their mobile even more than they currently do. This indicates that price is a potential barrier to winning over new customers for this type of service. To keep delivery costs low, SMEs who want to offer a rapid delivery option could partner with local businesses to share costs or use third-party services that can consolidate small orders in one delivery. In the next section, we will look at some of the most popular platforms customers are using for these services. 61% of q-commerce users order via third-party delivery apps or websitesTo find out where q-commerce users place their orders, we asked respondents who have either used these services in the last three months or haven’t used them recently but are interested in using them again about the type of platform they use the most for making these purchases:61% use third-party delivery apps (e.g., Deliveroo, Uber Eats, etc.)20% use a marketplace app or website (e.g., Amazon Fresh) 19% use companies' online shops or websites (e.g., restaurants or supermarkets delivering their own products)A small business's reach and exposure can be expanded by partnering with delivery apps and marketplaces; however, doing so will require companies to pay commissions that will reduce their profit margin. As an alternative, SMEs with a sizable customer base could consider creating their own apps or websites to take orders directly.Groceries are the item most commonly purchased through q-commerceWhen we asked the same group of q-commerce users what kind of items or services they have purchased through quick commerce, nearly two-thirds most commonly bought groceries (64%) and around half ordered from restaurants and bars (51%). The use of these platforms to get items such as groceries delivered to the doorstep can perhaps partially be attributed to the pandemic, when this practice became a convenient option for those who couldn’t or didn’t want to shop at physical stores. In addition, speed is of the essence when delivering fresh food and restaurant meals, the second most common use of fast delivery services.However, it’s possible to buy a wide range of items using this form of delivery, from fashion to medicine. We discovered that three-quarters of q-commerce users (75%) mainly use these services for spontaneous or urgent purchases, while the remaining quarter (25%) use these services to make planned and regular purchases.After looking at types of purchases, we wanted to know how much consumers typically spend on each order.What is the average spending on each q-commerce purchase?Around three-quarters of our sample of q-commerce users said they spend, on average, between £10 and £30 each time they make a purchase through this method (without considering the delivery cost): 3% spend less than £1033% spend £10 to £2041% spend £21 to £3014% spend £31 to £405% spend £41 to £505% spend more than £50Companies considering offering fast delivery should take into account the average purchase amount to gauge how suitable this model is for their products and if investing in providing these services could result in a profitable outcome. Adding delivery charges per order may act as a barrier, since, as we saw earlier, some people do not want to pay extra for delivery. SMEs can look for alternatives to delivering their own products, such as partnering with third-party services or marketplaces that offer customers free delivery in return for a paid subscription. But how many consumers are willing to pay for premium services?Are users opting for premium delivery services?When we asked our sample of q-commerce users if they pay for a premium subscription that typically includes free delivery:32% said yes, and they are satisfied29% said no, and they are not interested21% said no, but they are interested11% said no, they used to have one but cancelled it8% said yes, but they are not satisfiedThese results show there is an opportunity for businesses to offer fast delivery to attract new subscribers. Delving deeper, we investigated why non-subscribers haven't signed up for a premium service. 41% said they don't buy enough online to justify paying for a subscription. This is followed by 32% who find the price of these services very expensive and 26% who are satisfied with the time frames offered by online stores.These numbers indicate that the frequency of purchases is a major factor for consumers in deciding whether it's worth paying a subscription fee for q-commerce services. Companies considering offering fast delivery themselves can analyse buyer behaviour using tools such as web analytics or customer surveys to evaluate whether it could be profitable to offer this type of premium service to regular customers. An alternative model could be to offer a free delivery service to a large group of regular users. For example, a restaurant could deliver multiple lunch orders at a specified time to local workplaces where employees order directly through an app or website.Nearly 4 in 10 q-commerce customers expect delivery in under 30 minutesSpeed is obviously a key factor in quick commerce deliveries. We wanted to know what expectations the group of q-commerce users had regarding delivery times for these services. The majority said they expected to receive orders in less than an hour, with many (a combined 39%) expecting them in under half an hour. Tip for SMESBusinesses looking to optimise their delivery times can make use of delivery management software to manage and streamline their operations. These tools indicate the best routes based on traffic, driver or rider availability, and location of a customer to ensure deliveries are made in the least time possible. How important is delivery time compared to other elements?When the q-commerce users rated the importance of various elements when doing quick commerce on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = not important, 5 = very important), they almost unanimously indicated that all the aspects shown in the following graph are important to some degree. However, when it came to indicating which aspects were of the highest importance, almost half (49%) of these respondents rated price as ‘very important’, slightly above the number who gave the same rating to the speed of delivery (46%).This suggests that delivery charges will be a key factor to take into consideration when offering these services. It can be helpful for businesses to use price optimisation software to evaluate other elements such as competitor pricing and revenue goals when deciding the best pricing strategy. The pros and cons of quick commerce What are the advantages of q-commerce delivery?To understand more about the perceived benefits of q-commerce, we asked the same group of users about the advantages of using this type of delivery instead of its corresponding traditional way of delivery (e.g., phone delivery). The advantages for respondents included:Speed (for 60% of users)Convenience of delivery (54%) The possibility of buying and getting delivered products almost 24/7 (28%)The possibility of live order tracking (24%)Payment options (22%)Promotions (20%) Customer service and better delivery fees (17%) Variety of selection of products (15%)This list gives an idea of consumer expectations. While speed and convenience are obviously key to providing customer satisfaction, over a quarter mentioned the option of getting deliveries almost around the clock. SMEs need to consider the logistics of being able to meet these expectations within their core business hours. While companies may use their own, shared, or third-party local micro-warehouses from which goods potentially could be dispatched around the clock, inventory needs to be forecasted and managed.Tip for SMEsBusinesses looking to offer q-commerce services can make use of GPS tracking software to provide customers with a way to track orders. Allowing access to real-time updates regarding order status can help improve the customer experience. What are the disadvantages of q-commerce delivery?But are there any disadvantages for customers of using this type of delivery compared with more traditional methods? Our sample group of users most commonly cited expensive delivery fees as a drawback (62%). Other negative points included:Data protection and privacy concerns (26% of users)It is not easy to receive help or support (25%) Concerns over worker conditions (25%) Data privacyThe provision of q-commerce services, whether via an app or a platform, requires collecting customers’ personal data, such as address and bank details, and may expose companies to concerns regarding consumer data and privacy. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) sets out requirements for protecting customer data, and businesses must ensure compliance with GDPR when managing personal information.Customer serviceBusinesses looking to offer their product or service via a third-party app or marketplace may want to learn more about the process of customer help and support to understand how issues are resolved. Any issues with the delivery service may reflect poorly on the company itself and tarnish its reputation. Gig workersTypically, fast deliveries are made by drivers or riders that are employed on a freelance, short-term, or temporary basis, also known as gig workers. A quarter of q-commerce users expressed concerns about the conditions for workers in this sector. Companies who intend to provide their own quick commerce services should follow the UK government’s guidelines for gig workers' employment rights, which give guidance on the obligations a business has to its employees.The study highlightsOur survey indicates that the quick commerce business model has growth potential in the UK. Among key points to note:Around a third of respondents have not used a q-commerce service before and are interested in trying it61% of q-commerce users order via third-party delivery appsNearly three-quarters of q-commerce users say they spend an average of between £10 and £30 on each purchaseAbout a third of q-commerce users pay for premium services and are satisfied with them39% of q-commerce users expect delivery in under 30 minutesNearly half of users say price is ‘very important’Companies considering incorporating q-commerce services into their business should explore the different operational scenarios of offering these services through their own website or app or via third-party vendors. Logistics, delivery costs, delivery time, and customer sensitivity to price are all key factors when deciding on the most suitable model. Regardless of the sales channel used, streamlining internal operations to fulfil orders as efficiently as possible will be key to meeting customer expectations of fast delivery.Looking for delivery management software? Check out our catalogue\! ## Disclaimer > Methodology: The 2023 Q-Commerce and M-Commerce Survey was launched by Software Advice between 27 January 2023 and 2 February 2023. It was undertaken by 1,013 participants from different parts of the UK. The criteria for selecting the participants are as follows:A resident of the United KingdomAbove 18 years of ageShop online at least once per monthDo not belong to the silent generation (people born before 1946) ## About the author ### Sukanya Awasthi Sukanya is a Content Analyst for the UK and India market. Committed to offering insights on technology, emerging trends and software suggestions to SMEs. 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