Many ecommerce sellers are still reluctant to try and sell their wares on social media, despite the obvious advantages of access to a wide audience and quick click-through links. For the most part, vendors tend to prefer to sell through Amazon, with FBA contributing heavily to this preferences. With this in mind, ecommerce sellers should be excited to learn that Facebook is launching its own delivery service. This will hopefully convince more sellers to use the most popular social media platform in the world to their advantage. Here’s all you need to know about Facebook’s imminent postal service.
What Is Facebook’s New Delivery Service?
Anyone who has been selling on Facebook recently will know that the platform has been offering more shipping options. The new addition of the delivery service is definitely an exciting development in this field, but sellers should be aware that this service won’t be free. Unlike the services that have previously available, there will be a 2% service charge for sellers who wish to use the delivery service.
Facebook’s delivery service will be done through Hermes, whom Facebook have just made a partnership with. In order to use the service, sellers will have to drop the products off at a Hermes delivery pick-up point. Sellers don’t need to fear though, if they don’t wish to use this service Facebook will still offer the free collection option.
So Is The Service Worth It?
We certainly think so. Recent research from Yodel has shown that around 30% of UK consumers are planning to do all of their Christmas shopping online this year. This is a massive increase from the 7% that said the same the year before. When consumers were asked if they planned to use a hybrid approach to their gift shopping (online and offline) over 61% of those surveyed said that they would be taking this approach.
There is also evidence that social media shopping is on the rise. 61% of UK 18-25 year olds and 50% of 26-35 year olds have said that they have made a purchase after seeing an ad on social media in the last month alone. This is primarily through Instagram and Facebook. Thus, utilizing the Facebook delivery service could help you deal with orders from social media consumers.
But Is Facebook’s New Delivery Service Better Than The Free Collection Option?
The answer to this question comes down to personal preference, but we are seeing more and more consumers opt to buy from sellers that favour customer satisfaction over convenience. This trend is even more prevalent in the UK, where research has shown that consumers are more impatient than any other country. 81% of UK consumers say that they would look for another supplier if an item was out of stock or their delivery expectations were not met.
This is why this holiday season sellers should really be considering the best way to get their products to consumers. Supply chains are under more stress than ever, which wouldn’t be such an issue but consumers are concurrently more impatient than ever. Utilizing tools like Facebook’s new delivery service really could be the best way to ensure that sellers make the most of this holiday season.
If You Are An Ecommerce Seller, We Can Help You
Whether it is expanding your business to another country or you just need supply chain support, we at J&P Accountants have been supporting ecommerce sellers for years and can offer you a range of services.
If you are a business who participates in cross border ecommerce, we would be more than happy to help you register for VAT, file your VAT returns, and help you comply with VAT in case your account faces any issues. At J&P, helping your business is our passion, and we understand that companies across the UK are at risk now more than ever. We are here to support you through the Coronavirus crisis and the busy festive period, so please do not hesitate to give us a call on 0161 637 1080 or send an e-mail to enquiries@jpaccountant.com.
