Posted by Rachel Westall on 1 October 2026
More than four in 10 UK shoppers (42 percent) would abandon an online purchase if unexpected delivery costs appeared during checkout, according to new research from digital consultancy Sherwen Studios. This highlights a major commercial risk for retailers ahead of the Black Friday and Christmas shopping season. When asked what (if anything) would make them abandon an online purchase, shoppers most frequently cited unexpected delivery costs at checkout (42 percent), delivery taking too long (31 percent), or an item being out of stock (29 percent).
Conversely, when asked what would make them more likely to purchase online, the most frequent responses were free or cheaper delivery (45 percent), faster delivery (32 percent), trusted customer reviews (23 percent), clear product images or sizing information (21 percent) and real-time stock availability (20 percent).
The findings are published in Sherwen's latest report, The Omnichannel Illusion: Customers can't value what they don't experience, which is based on commissioned research among a nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK consumers aged 18 and over.
Sherwen Studios believes that these findings should serve as a warning to retailers preparing for this year's Black Friday and Christmas sales. Peak trading periods put greater pressure on ecommerce and fulfilment teams, so delivery costs, timescales, stock visibility, and product and returns information must be clear to customers when they decide whether to complete a purchase.
Improving transparency at every stage could help retailers reduce cart abandonment rates, build consumer confidence and maximise conversions during the peak trading period.
Matt Sherwen, Managing Director of Sherwen Studios, says, "Many retailers will be spending the next few months focusing on promotions, advertising and driving traffic to their online platforms, but our research confirms that customers are walking away for surprisingly simple reasons. During peak trading periods, seemingly small gaps in delivery information could have a major impact on sales."
"We recommend that brands spend the next few weeks reviewing whether delivery costs, timescales, product information and returns policies are visible throughout the customer journey. Small changes to that information could have a greater impact on customer confidence and conversion rates than many retailers realise."
Sherwen Studio's research gives retailers a practical way to review peak readiness: examine whether information, services, and customer context remain consistent as a journey moves across the website, app, store, and customer service.
The full report, The Omnichannel Illusion: Customers can't value what they don't experience, explores attitudes towards connected retail, delivery, loyalty, personalisation and AI. It identifies where shopping journeys still feel separate and provides recommendations for making existing omnichannel capabilities more visible to customers.
The report can be downloaded here: www.sherwen.com
