This is the first in a series about what’s going to be on the agenda for 2009. Today, I’m talking about the importance of shipping in e-commerce, and how neglected it is.

Lately, I’ve been murmuring barely audible invectives about the ridiculous state of online shopping in Sweden. Although you can buy most anything, it’s usually faster just to go out and buy it, at least if you live in or near one of the major cities.

When I realize that I need something, I want it right away. I seldom want it next week. This is regardless of whether it’s something important like prescription medicine or a vanity item, like an Uglydoll from Modpop. Most of the time, “right away” is not going to happen because in this wretched country, speedy home delivery isn’t considered essential to business.

A quick review of Swedish online vendors reveals that although many can deliver within 1-3 days, they don’t advertise it. It’s hard to find any retailer that actually uses delivery time as a USP. There are a few notable exceptions, such as my favorite for movies (I do on occasion still buy physical media) Discshop.se – orders made before 16.00 arrive the next day.

If you want same day delivery, you’d better be in the market for flowers, since florists are pretty much the only ones catering to the spontaneous crowd.

Why is this? Studies show that buyers feel that shipping costs in general are “unfair”. Just upping your prices and having free shipping is apparently a winning strategy, because not only are people greedy, they’re stupid too.

Another notable pattern emerges if you read the delivery info on most shopping sites. Vendors aren’t taking responsibility for the last leg of their sale, they’re handing it over to post-monopoly partly-goverment-operated Posten, and seem to take little interest in their product once it leaves their door.

Shipping outside of established routes or practices in Sweden is not cheap. It’s is a low volume market with few operators. We have high VATs and the cost of manual labor is staggering. To add injury to insult, we’re also spread out thin across a tall country. But none of this should stop vendors from providing the option of speedy delivery to the people who are willing to pay for it.

This is what I don’t get: Were in the world is my Same Day Delivery? Where’s my Next Morning Delivery? Apparently, it’s nowhere to be seen. I had lunch with a friend today who works at Bring (she also runs Modpop), and I broached the subject with her. It turns out they have a service that tries to mitigate some of the problems, called MyQuickBox. It’s basically centralized drop-off points where customers can pick up their goods. They offer same day delivery at reasonable costs. It’s a step in the right direction.

My prediction: Vendors that are able to set up a kick-ass logistics operations (with partners of course) and start to

• Offer free delivery in reasonable time
• Offer same day delivery and next day delivery at competitive prices
• Advertise their delivery advantages openly

are going to be the big winners next year.

Here’s why: How many times did you NOT buy something online, just because you didn’t feel like waiting?

…

All posts in my series of predictions for 2009;

1. I Want my Package Now, Right Now
2. We Start to Notice our Observers
3. We Depart from Mediocrity
4. Free is the Magic Number
5. Attention Control is the new Work Ethic