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Black Friday frustration for Brits as nearly three quarters of a billion pounds of goods expected to arrive damaged
Bargain-hungry Brits are bracing themselves for a Black Friday of frustration as almost three-quarters of a billion pounds worth of goods are expected to arrive damaged.
The annual bonanza sees the UK public flock to the sales but according to new research from DS Smith, over two-fifths are anticipating a weekend to forget.
A striking 41 per cent expect to receive up to six faulty or damaged items in both the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, with the 21m items that will be delivered broken racking up a total cost of £739m.
Almost seven in ten (69 per cent) admit to previously receiving faulty or damaged items after ordering online, with this ‘Black Friday Frustration’ leading to nearly half (46 per cent) saying that products arriving broken or damaged is the most infuriating consequence of receiving a delivery.
Leading packaging supplier DS Smith revealed the startling finds and Stefano Rossi, Packaging CEO at the company, says consumers have had enough.
📦 Black Friday is becoming brown as consumers have reached the "skipping point," preferring 👩💻 online shopping over traditional retail 🛒. by 62% to 33%. More e-commerce insights here: https://t.co/cmjZLN6WG1 pic.twitter.com/0qNeTShlJU
— DS Smith (@dssmithgroup) November 23, 2021
He said: “This eye-opening research shows that consumers are fed up with being delivered damaged goods.
“In addition to the financial and emotional costs of delivering and then returning broken items, there is an environmental cost.
“Luckily, there is a solution; one of the most effective ways to ensure goods arrive safely is to use the right packaging.”
Emotions run justifiably high for consumers when packages turn up at their front door damaged, leaving over two-fifths of us (41 per cent) disappointed, over a third (36 per cent) annoyed and a similar figure (32 per cent) frustrated.
And when it comes to returning an item, the average Brit revealed that anything less than £22 is not worth making the effort to return – creating additional waste as broken items clutter homes across the UK.
Of those who haven’t returned damaged items, almost half (48 per cent) say it’s because it’s more hassle than it’s worth, 46 per cent reckon returning it would cost as much as they originally paid for the item and 22 per cent say the window for returns isn’t long enough.
For a more sustainable future, say goodbye ‘take, make, consume and dispose’ and hello ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.👋https://t.co/H1p8pMcBIy pic.twitter.com/fjX3hmZQ07
— DS Smith (@dssmithgroup) November 22, 2021
Returns also mean losing out on valuable income for brands and retailers, with 48 per cent of shoppers preferring to receive a refund as opposed to 34 per cent who ask for a replacement.
41 per cent are hesitant to shop with a brand again if they receive broken goods and Rossi added: “We collaborate closely with our customers to design the optimal packaging every time.
“Packaging that keeps the product safe, deliver a great unboxing experience and have a small environmental footprint.
“Reducing preventable returns, exchanges and related carbon emissions benefits consumers, retailers and our planet.”
DS Smith’s DISCS™ technology, named after the types of testing (Drop, Impact, Shock, Crush, Shake), replicates the real world product journey to ensure the packaging is fit for purpose. Keeping the product safe while avoiding excess packaging.
