KING OF PRUSSIA, PA — TikTok Shop customers were more than twice as likely to report delayed or inconsistent deliveries as shoppers on Amazon or Walmart Marketplace, exposing fulfillment risks for brands expanding across digital sales channels, according to a Radial survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers.
Sixteen percent of respondents reported slower or less reliable delivery through TikTok Shop, compared with 7% for both Amazon and Walmart Marketplace, Radial found.
The results suggest consumers hold brands responsible for delivery, inventory and service problems even when purchases occur through third-party marketplaces or social commerce platforms. Repeated failures can quickly translate into lost sales and public complaints.
More than half of respondents, or 53%, indicated they would stop buying from a brand after paying for expedited shipping that failed to arrive faster. Thirty-seven percent would leave after one canceled order, while 27% would do so after receiving the wrong item.
Poor customer service carried the greatest reputational risk. Thirty-one percent of consumers reported that a bad service experience would prompt them to criticize a brand on social media or post a negative review.
That compared with 14% who would publicly complain after an expedited shipment missed its promised speed, 12% after receiving the wrong product and 7% following a late delivery.
The findings come as marketplaces increasingly serve as the entry point for new customer relationships. Forty-four percent of respondents first purchase from an unfamiliar brand through marketplaces such as Amazon or Walmart, compared with 10% through a retailer website and 3% through a social shopping platform such as TikTok Shop.
Marketplace use also increased from a year earlier among 38% of respondents, including 45% of millennials and 44% of Generation Z consumers. By comparison, 19% reported shopping more frequently on retailer websites and 13% increased their use of social commerce.
Consumers generally viewed broader distribution as a positive signal. Thirty-nine percent reported greater trust in a brand available through multiple shopping destinations, including 56% of Generation Z respondents, while 5% reported lower trust.
The survey nevertheless found uneven experiences across major platforms. Seventeen percent of consumers encountered different prices for the same product on Amazon, while 16% reported stock shortages on Walmart Marketplace.
Shauna Bowen, Radial’s chief digital and transformation officer, said brands gain access to first-time customers through marketplaces but remain accountable for the entire purchasing experience.
“Customers don’t lower their expectations once they get there,” Bowen said. “They still expect accurate inventory, reliable delivery and responsive service.”
Radial argued that retailers need fulfillment operations capable of coordinating inventory, transportation, payments, customer communication and returns across channels. Weak connections between those functions can result in canceled orders, inconsistent pricing and inaccurate delivery information.
The King of Prussia-based third-party logistics provider is scheduled to change its name to Paxon later this year.
Additional survey findings are available at radial.com/lp/b2b-fulfillment.
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