72 per cent of consumers believe retailers use too much packaging for online orders and 66 per cent of consumers have received an online order where the delivery packaging was much bigger than the actual item(s) size on more than one occasion over the past year.

With online shopping becoming an essential for many consumers, there have been elements of retailer’s online deliveries that have been scrutinised. Clouder.co.uk wanted to find out how consumers really felt about how their online orders are packaged and delivered. The company surveyed 892 consumers who make a purchase online for delivery at least once a month.

As well as concerns about too much packaging and packaging bigger than the item, the survey also found that 58 per cent of consumers felt excessive packaging made it noticeably difficult for them to open their online order on more than one occasion over the past year. 46 per cent of consumers felt the delivery packaging of online orders was not easy to dispose of on more than one occasion over the past year.

Tomas Zalatoris, CEO of Clouder.co.uk said, “with online shopping positioned at the forefront of the retail landscape, retailers can certainly make more of an effort to minimise the use of unnecessary delivery packaging for online orders. Retailers who take the initiative to use the appropriate amount of delivery packaging and protective materials for their online orders - will not only improve their reputation, but help reduce the adverse environmental effects of excessive packaging waste.

The Findings:

• 72% of consumers believe retailers use too much delivery packaging for online orders 

• 66% of consumers have received an online order where the delivery packaging was much 
bigger than the actual item(s) size on more than one occasion over the past year
• 62% of consumers would perceive a retailer more positively if they made a conscious effort 
to not overuse packaging and protective materials for online orders 

• 58% of consumers felt excessive packaging made it noticeably difficult for them to open 
their online order on more than one occasion over the past year 

• 54% of consumers think retailers unnecessarily overuse protective packaging materials 
(bubble wrap, plastic air pillows, foam peanuts etc) for online orders 

• 46% of consumers felt the delivery packaging of online orders was not easy to dispose of on 
more than one occasion over the past year 

• 10% of consumers believe retailers use too little packaging for online orders