Features Added to nShift Platform Help Brands Tout Values
Values and ethics are important factors when shoppers consider purchasing from a brand. According to a new report from parcel-delivering software firm nShift, 63 percent of global consumers “prefer to purchase products and services from companies that align with their values and beliefs,” the company said.
Moreover, 62 of the respondents said they “are willing to switch brands until they find one compatible with their ethics.”
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To help retailers and brands address these shopping preferences, nShift added two new features to its checkout solution: “Positive Impact” and “Checkout Badges.” The features were created to tout a company’s ethical commitment to its customers.
In addition to the Positive Impacts and Checkout Badges, nShift will also launch an “Emissions Tracker” later this year, meant to help e-commerce companies and warehouses calculate, record and analyze greenhouse gas emissions per shipment. The company said this feature enables companies “to comply with environmental reporting requirements and helps them pinpoint opportunities for emissions reduction.”
Sean Sherwin-Smith, post-purchase product director at nShift, said, “We’re seeing a huge importance placed on authenticity and brand values by shoppers. Companies must do more than talk about their values. They need to make them clear and tangible. Creating opportunities for shoppers to make choices that reflect their values helps demonstrate that both retailer and customer share the same priorities.”
NShift said the Positive Impact feature “enables online retailers to set up delivery options that trigger donations to good causes.” The company also noted that the feature “helps retailers create an opportunity to showcase their values at a time when the customer is highly engaged with the shopping experience.” NShift said the causes supported are broad and global and “range from restoring natural habitats and removing rubbish from the sea, to improving access to nutrition and education. In each case, customers can see what impact their donation will have. Meanwhile, retailers can monitor and report back on their cumulative impact.”
To further show their commitment to a values-driven approach, retailers and brands can also use nShift’s Checkout Badges, which the company said provides “additional visual cues to prompt sustainable choices.”
The company also said it has long been possible for retailers “to source and display sustainable delivery options through nShift” and added that the new badging feature makes it easier for shoppers to identify low-emissions options quickly. This is done by displaying a small green leaf, which would have a low environmental impact, next to shipping options.
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