Online shops are an increasingly popular form of shopping these days. In addition to a wider choice and the availability of products at very favourable prices, they also have the advantage of being able to deliver goods to your home or selected pick-up point.
Nowadays, retailers generally offer their customers more than one form of delivery. It is rare for an online shop where we shop to offer only one form of delivery. Usually, it will at least give customers the choice between delivery by Courier, or Parcel Machine. And while on the one hand it is nice to have a choice, it is often difficult to decide which form of delivery will be the most cost-effective at any given time.
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What to look for when choosing a delivery method?
There are a few key elements that every buyer looks at when choosing a delivery method. These are:
- dinner,
- the time taken for delivery,
- whether the chosen method will require attendance at home,
- possible consequences if the package is not collected,
- the experience the customer has gained from previous purchases.
When the price of delivery significantly exceeds the value of the basket being fulfilled, there is a good chance that the customer will abandon it or look for a cheaper alternative. According to an e-commerce customer survey (Gemius 2019) lack of attractive delivery options is one of the main reasons for shopping basket abandonment . On the other hand, if it is important that the products reach the orderer as quickly as possible, the form of delivery that has the shortest lead time (should be indicated on the ordering website) becomes more attractive. Usually, in the best case scenario, the parcel will reach the recipient as early as the next working day.
When a customer wants a parcel to be delivered directly to their door, ordering a courier or parcel by post is the ideal solution. However, if the customer is unable to predict whether they will be at home during the courier's visit, they can use the option of delivery to a collection point or Parcel Post. 
Delivery by courier
There are currently eight companies operating on the Polish market that could be described as typical courier firms. They offer delivery at various prices - most often between 15 and 20 PLN, but prices can vary dramatically depending on the size and conditions of the parcel. The price depends primarily on the size of the parcel being sent. The parcel is usually delivered on the next working day, although two working days are often written in the regulations. Much depends on what time the parcel is posted. The tracking number, which the customer receives from the seller or the courier company, makes it possible to trace the parcel.
The biggest advantage of this form of delivery is the ability to shop without leaving home - courier delivers the parcel right to your door. Some companies also offer to bring the goods to your home, for an additional charge, although this is mainly relevant for large consignments.
Unfortunately, for some people the courier delivery option is not so convenient. Above all, it requires you to be at the specified delivery address when the courier arrives. Here, the option to redirect the parcel to another address is helpful - provided there are friendly neighbours in the area who are at home at the time.
Before choosing a courier company to carry out your shipment, it is a good idea to read its terms and conditions. This is primarily to check what happens to the parcel if it is not collected the first time. Although they will usually make a second (or even a second) attempt at delivery, some will take the parcel back to their premises and others will send it straight back to the sender. For this reason, many people choose to order courier delivery to their place of work. 
Delivery to parcel machines
Delivery to Paczkomaty allows you to order goods to one of more than 6,000 self-service parcel machines throughout Poland. Collection is possible within 48 hours of placing the parcel in a Parcel Machine. There is no denying that this is a very beneficial solution, given that many people cannot afford to wait for a courier. An important advantage of Paczkomaty is that they are located in such a way that customers always have them on their way - in housing estates, near popular shops or at petrol stations.
Shipping to Parcel Post is offered by most online shops. InPost's terms and conditions specify the delivery time as two working days, but in over 90 per cent of cases the parcel reaches the customer the very next day. The cost of sending such a parcel is usually around PLN 10, or slightly more, but always less than for a courier delivery. Unfortunately, some parcels cannot be delivered by Paczkomaty InPost because their dimensions exceed the dimensions of the machine's boxes.
The main competitor of Paczkomaty is the delivery of a parcel to a collection point: e.g. a Żabka, Orlen station, Biedronka, Ruch Kiosk or a specialised service point. These are usually slightly cheaper options than Parcel Machine collection, but are less widely available in online shops and have a much less extensive network of collection points.
As you can see, each option has its advantages and disadvantages. When ordering the delivery of a product from an online shop, you simply have to analyse which aspect of it is most important at the time and then decide which option will be the most advantageous.
