By Ellie-Rose Davies, Content Executive at IMRG
The customer experience remains a crucial focus, with IMRG research showing that retailers see customer acquisition and retention as the biggest challenge in eCommerce this year. The top priorities for boosting performance were identified as optimising marketing and advertising (including partnerships and channel strategies) and enhancing the overall customer experience (improved UX, navigation, personalisation, and service).
Improving the customer experience is essential at the checkout through to delivery and beyond.
In this blog we cover:
- Growing basket completion and value
- Using brand partnerships to boost conversion
- Seamless payments for a better checkout
- Harnessing AI and technology across the journey
- AI for fraud prevention and faster decisions
- Building confidence during the wait
- Data accuracy for frictionless delivery
- WISMO and the power of communication
- Proactive updates to reduce ‘Where is My Order?’ queries
Growing basket completion and value
Using brand partnerships to boost conversion
To support retailers in improving checkout performance and strengthening key measures like average basket value and conversion rates, industry experts from Awin and PXP have provided their practical advice and recommendations.
Lee Metters, Regional Senior Brand Partnership and Retail Media Lead at Awin says, ‘Retailers are using brand partnerships, including non-endemic retail media, to support basket completion and add value after purchase.’
‘Promoting relevant third-party brands at checkout, such as offering a free gift with purchase, can lift conversion rates by 4 to 10 per cent, turning abandoned baskets into revenue. These offers also reduce voucher code searches, helping maintain order value.’
Lee tells retailers to ‘Think recipe boxes for air fryer buyers, or pet subscriptions with pet-friendly vacuums. Retailers making the most of post-purchase moments are using confirmation pages, emails and apps to drive loyalty. Brands that get it right pre and post purchase are seeing impressive results.’
Seamless payments for a better checkout
Another way to facilitate positive customer experiences at the checkout is through optimising payments, says Kevin Griffin, Growth Director – Enterprise at PXP.
He says, ‘To bring positive customer experiences and remain competitive, merchants should prioritise a seamless payment journey across all channels.’
‘Recent research from PXP shows that 59% of merchants are focused on creating unique payment experiences in the future. Simple checkout optimisations can deliver immediate results: offering local payment options, ensuring digital wallets like Apple Pay are prominently displayed for younger demographics, and implementing smart routing to guide transactions to the best approval rates, to name a few.’
Kevin continues, ‘Omnichannel payments help retailers to connect in-person, online, and mobile experiences, providing consistent customer journeys across all touchpoints. It’s clear that they are critical to exceptional customer service.’
Harnessing AI and technology across the journey
AI continues to play an important role in improving the customer experience. Beyond product recommendations, it’s increasingly being used across different stages of the purchasing journey – from checkout through to delivery and post-purchase support.
As explored by Arne Jeroschewski, Founder and CEO at parcelperform, ‘Making the post-purchase journey positive is essential for building trust. The stakes are higher in the emerging world of AI Commerce, where every delivery creates a performance record for hyper-rational AI agents.’
Arne tells retailers that ‘A great setup is more than just a tracking page; it demands a unified view of your operations.’ This is why Arne urges retailers to foreground AI decision Intelligence as a part of their strategy.
‘It provides the proactive insights to perfect every step from checkout to returns, ensuring you delight today’s customers while building the flawless record to help win tomorrow’s AI-driven sales,’ says Arne.
AI for fraud prevention and faster decisions
Nikhita Hyett, General Manager EMEA at Signifyd also highlights the importance of AI, especially to speed up processes and prevent fraud:
‘Retailers often focus on getting the sale, but it’s the post-purchase journey that defines the customer experience. Real-time, data-driven fraud detection at checkout and beyond helps with instant order approvals and instant return refunds while still protecting the business.’
‘AI-driven models providing insight into the identity and intent behind transactions allows merchants to calibrate the friction involved in issuing a refund, from instant refunds for loyal customers to holding the refund until the goods are inspected for higher-risk requests.’
Building confidence during the wait
Once customers enter the post-purchase stage they want to be filled with confidence. This can be helped through AI and having accurate data.
Simon Dyer, Regional Vice President, UK & Nordics at Mirakl exclaims ‘Retailers can transform the post-checkout experience by using AI to deliver greater clarity and convenience at every step.’
‘Real-time shipment tracking and automated delivery updates help customers feel informed and in control. At the same time, enriched product data and optimised catalogues help reduce order inaccuracies and returns’
‘Together, these approaches turn anxious waiting into confident anticipation while lowering the volume of costly customer support inquiries,’ says Simon.
Data accuracy for frictionless delivery
Barley Laing, the UK Managing Director at Melissa, tells us how accurate data can help build consumer confidence. He suggests for retailers to ‘Start by accurately collecting customer data, particularly address data, at the onboarding stage. With clean and verified delivery addresses retailers can provide a fast and frictionless shopping experience that consumers expect.’
‘To obtain accurate address data use address lookup or autocomplete tools that deliver a properly formatted, correct address at the onboarding stage, when the user starts to input theirs. Such technology reduces the number of keystrokes by up to 81% when typing an address, speeding up the path to checkout.’
Barley notes, ‘It’s important to recognise that similar technology can be used to deliver first point of contact verification across email and phone.’
A smart thing to do once you have the correct customer address is to use ‘geocoding that provides latitude and longitude (rooftop level) coordinates, which will ensure faster, more accurate deliveries, and reduce the chance of costly return to sender issues.’
Barley says geocoding is ‘important because location and address aren’t always the same thing. For instance, different properties may share an address, such as a plot of land or the street edge of a driveway.’
WISMO and the power of communication
Communication is key
Clear and timely communication is essential, helping to guide customers through to conversion and building the trust needed to inspire long-term loyalty.
Industry experts at Prisync say ‘Transparent communication and reliability are key when executing the delivery of purchased products.’
‘Customers expect to receive informative emails or SMS messages at every step of the delivery process, and merchants need to ensure that they work with dependable delivery partners to avoid any information gaps.’
Prisync say ‘an important move is to ensure that customers feel they have received a great, competitively priced deal, which helps reduce post-purchase doubts.’
‘To back this up, merchants can send personalised confirmation emails that highlight savings, such as the amount saved by making the purchase at that moment, or quick responses to any issue that they have encountered with an adequate support team to enhance the customer experience.’
Lucile Pegorier, Manager, Demand Generation, EMEA at BIGCOMMERCE reinforces the importance of excellent communication, stating that ‘At BigCommerce, we’ve seen that clear delivery timelines, real‑time tracking, and hassle‑free returns communication dramatically reduce ‘where’s my order?’ enquiries.’
‘Businesses should implement automated notifications and smart chatbots to give shoppers visibility and reassurance at every stage. Fast shipping matters, but so does consistency and transparency.’
Lucile encourages retailers to invest time into these post‑purchase touchpoints as they ‘not only enhance satisfaction—it boosts repeat purchases and customer lifetime value. Ultimately, it’s about creating a seamless, reliable journey that turns first-time buyers into loyal brand advocates.’
Proactive updates to reduce ‘Where is My Order?’ queries
Reducing “Where is my order?” (WISMO) queries is a strong indicator of an effective post-purchase experience. It suggests customers are receiving clear, timely information and communication from the retailer throughout the delivery process.
Gavin Murphy, CMO at Scurri, commented, ‘The product and the experience of buying and receiving it are not indivisible, but they’re closer than ever. That’s why retailers must treat delivery as an extension of their brand, not an outsourced function.’
‘Over 74% of shoppers say they want to see their parcel’s full journey, and 81% want customer service teams to have access to real-time courier data to answer, ‘Where is my order?’ (WISMO) queries with confidence.’
Gavin shares that ‘Too often, delivery comms are late or unbranded, leaving customers confused or, worse, anxious. 67% say being contacted after a missed delivery is irritating. Brands should proactively inform customers of issues before delays occur; 82% will be more forgiving if this happens early, and 81% say it increases the chance of them shopping with you again.’
‘Retailers who integrate fulfilment systems with customer support and take ownership of branded notifications can reduce WISMO queries and build trust.’
‘It’s about clarity, empathy, and reassurance in a moment that matters. The post-purchase journey is the final impression and first opportunity to earn the next sale.’
As expressed by Alexander Otto, Head of Corporate Relations at Tradebyte, ‘Improving the customer experience beyond checkout means addressing complexity with clarity.’
Alexander says, ‘Real-time metrics such as order lead times, return rates, and channel performance flag issues before they escalate into customer complaints.’
‘This level of visibility enables teams to manage delivery promises, adapt inventory across warehouses, and communicate clearly during delays. It also helps reduce WISMO (“where is my order?”) queries by ensuring accurate tracking and proactive updates.
Alexander shares that ‘In today’s high-pressure environment, control isn’t just operational, it’s a direct driver of trust and loyalty.’
From basket optimisation and seamless payments to the use of AI and clearer delivery communications, industry experts agree that improving the post-purchase journey relies on strong data, proactive updates, and well-structured checkout processes.
These insights highlight how small refinements across the journey can together create a smoother, more reassuring shopping experience for customers.
Want to read more? Here are 5 recent IMRG blogs that may take your interest:
- Combining SEO, Digital PR and CRM to drive sustainable growth – IMRG
- How Missed Price Moves Impact Online Retail Conversion – IMRG
- Ecommerce H1 Review 2025: Key learnings and expectations for H2 – IMRG
- How to approach ID verification as eCommerce fraud increases – IMRG
- Beyond the bargain: unlocking full-funnel growth through affiliate – IMRG
Published 05/08/25
