Delivery is far more than a logistics detail in your e-commerce business. It is a strategic lever that directly shapes your conversions, your average basket and your customer loyalty. 60% of consumers pick one online retailer over another based on the delivery options. 48% of abandoned baskets are caused by shipping costs the customer judges too high. On the other side, free delivery is the single biggest trigger to buy for 79% of online shoppers.
Why offer free delivery, and how do you set the right threshold?
Free delivery is the most powerful conversion lever in e-commerce, but making it free on every order is not always viable. The most effective strategy is conditional free delivery with a threshold set 20 to 30% above your average basket, for example: an average basket of 45€ means free delivery from 59€. This lifts the average basket by 15 to 25% because customers add items to reach the threshold. An alternative: build the shipping cost into the product price and advertise "Free delivery". A product at 39€ with free delivery always sells better than a product at 34€ plus 5€ of delivery.
How to communicate your free delivery threshold on your site:
How to work out the right free delivery threshold for your shop: the ideal threshold = your current average basket × 1,25. If your average basket is 40€, set the threshold at 50€. Test it for 30 days and measure whether the average basket has risen without your conversion rate falling (a sign that the threshold is too high). A word of warning: a threshold that is too ambitious (average basket × 2) puts people off more than it motivates them.
Which delivery options should you offer to maximise your conversions?
Never offer a single delivery option. Every customer has different priorities. The 4 essential options for an online shop in France: 1) Standard home delivery (Colissimo), 3 to 5 working days, the default option and the cheapest. 2) Pickup point (Mondial Relay), 30 to 40% cheaper than home delivery, ideal for people who are out during the day. 3) Express delivery (Chronopost, DHL), 24 to 48 hours, a supplement of 5 to 10€, essential for gifts and urgent purchases. 4) Click and collect if you have a physical location: free, available within 2 hours, and it brings people into the shop.
What French consumers expect from delivery (2026):
| Type | Expected time | Acceptable price |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 3 to 5 days | Free or < 5€ |
| Pickup point | 3 to 5 days | Free or < 3€ |
| Express | 1 to 2 days | 5 to 10€ |
| Same day | Same day | 10 to 15€ |
How do you cut your e-commerce delivery costs without hurting the service?
There are 3 levers you can pull to cut delivery costs. 1) Negotiate with the carriers: rates are negotiable from 50 to 100 parcels a month, so ask at least 3 carriers for a quote and negotiate on annual volumes. 2) Optimise your packaging: use boxes that fit the product (volumetric weight can cost more than the real weight), and invest in bespoke reusable packaging for your best sellers. 3) Use a shipping platform (Sendcloud, Boxtal, ShipStation): it compares carriers automatically and picks the best value for every shipment.
The hidden cost most people ignore, oversized packaging: carriers charge on volumetric weight (L × W × H / 5000) whenever it exceeds the real weight. A 200g parcel in a box that is too big can be billed as if it weighed 2 kg. Standardise your boxes to 3 or 4 formats covering 90% of your catalogue: you cut your shipping costs by 15 to 25% and reduce your carbon footprint, which is worth talking about publicly.
How do you turn your returns policy into a selling point?
A generous returns policy is not a cost, it is a commercial argument. 92% of customers will buy again if the returns process is simple, and a generous returns policy lifts sales by 25%. Best practice: a minimum window of 30 days (the legal minimum is 14 days), a prepaid returns label in the parcel, a process in 3 steps at most, and a refund within 5 working days. Show your returns policy on every product page, in the footer, at checkout and in the confirmation email. On returns themselves, 30% of products bought online are sent back, so build that cost into your margin from day one.
Vary your returns rules by product category: for hygiene products or personalised items, state clearly on the product page that they cannot be returned, as the law allows for certain categories. For clothing and shoes (a return rate of 40 to 50%), offer a free size exchange to discourage a plain return. These nuances cut your return rate by 10 to 15% without damaging customer trust.
Advanced retailers use delivery as a loyalty tool: offer free express delivery to customers who have ordered 3 times or more, add a "delivered within 48 hours or it is on us" guarantee for members of your loyalty programme, and send a personal tracking SMS an hour before delivery. These small touches cost very little and produce spontaneous reviews and recommendations.
For an e-commerce site with optimised logistics built in, get in touch with our team.
A delivery policy template you can copy
A delivery policy is read in thirty seconds, before the purchase. Here is a framework you can lift straight onto your "Delivery and returns" page, replacing the values in brackets.
Free delivery in mainland France on orders over [60] €. Below that, a contribution of [4,90] € to a pickup point and [6,90] € to your door.
Dispatched within [24 h] working hours for any order placed before [14 h]. Delivery in [2 to 3] working days to a pickup point, [1 to 2] days to your door.
Parcel tracking sent by email and by SMS as soon as it ships.
Free returns within [30] days, unworn items, returns label printed from your account. Refund within [5] days of receipt.
A question? An answer within [24 h] at [contact@yourshop.fr] or on [number].
Every line answers a specific objection: the price, the wait, the unknown, the risk of choosing wrong, and the lack of anyone to talk to. Show the first two on the product page and in the basket, not only on a page buried in the footer.
7 levers to cut your shipping costs without hurting the service
These settings are configured in the shop itself. If yours cannot handle them, that is often a sign it is time to change: see our e-commerce website page.
Frequently asked questions about e-commerce delivery
Which carrier should you choose when you start out in e-commerce?
Colissimo (La Poste) for standard deliveries in France and Mondial Relay for pickup points make an excellent starting pair. Add Chronopost for express once the volume justifies it (50+ parcels a month). Use a platform such as Sendcloud to compare rates automatically and manage your labels from a single interface. From 200 parcels a month, ask the carrier directly for a negotiated account: the savings can reach 20 to 35% on the public rate, with premium tracking numbers and a simpler claims process.
How do you handle lost or damaged parcels?
Insure every shipment worth more than 50€. When something goes wrong, replace the product or refund straight away without questioning the customer. The cost of a replacement is always lower than the cost of a lost customer and a bad review. Keep the tracking numbers for every shipment so you can claim from the carrier. Build a standard process for incidents: an automatic apology email within 2 hours, a replacement shipped within 24 hours, and a 10% voucher on the next order. That protocol turns a bad experience into lasting loyalty.
Does a small online shop need same-day delivery?
No, not for most online retailers. It is a premium service that needs complex and expensive logistics. Focus first on reliable standard delivery (3 to 5 days) and clear tracking before you look at faster options. Reliability beats speed when you are building customer trust.
How does an order tracking email improve the customer experience?
The transactional tracking email is the most opened message in e-commerce (average open rate: 70 to 80%). Make the most of it: include a clickable tracking number, the estimated delivery date, and a "You might also like" section with complementary products. These transactional upsells generate 5 to 10% of extra revenue at no additional acquisition cost. A real ConvertiLab example: a natural haircare shop was shipping 80 parcels a month with Colissimo only, at 7,50€ per shipment. After an audit we brought in Mondial Relay (2,90€) for orders under 30€, Colissimo for those between 30 and 59€, and free delivery above that. The result: a saving of 180€ a month on shipping, an average basket up from 34€ to 52€ (customers add items to reach the free threshold), and a basket abandonment rate down by 31%. !E-commerce order tracking email - 80% open rate transactional upsell tracking number
