Research from eCommerce fulfilment services Zendbox highlights the importance of late order cut-off times in boosting conversion rates, enhancing customer loyalty, and driving revenue. Findings show that 35% of online purchases take place between 4pm and 9pm. As a result, Zendbox has introduced a 10pm order cut-off time, allowing more merchants to provide next-day delivery and leading to an average 15% increase in conversion rates.
James Khoury, founder and CEO of Zendbox, stated: “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 also emphasised that offering later cut-off times can be a challenge for many businesses due to the need for sophisticated technology, warehouse support, 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.
Rob Whitfield, founder of Complete Strength, has seen positive results after adopting Zendbox’s later cut-off time. “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,” Whitfield explained.
In 2023, Zendbox processed over three million orders and works with major brands such as PRIME, USN, Puresport, and fourfive. Using its Zendportal platform, the company connects retailers’ sales channels like Shopify, eBay, and Amazon, offering advanced inventory management tools and improving supply chain visibility.