Beyond the Basket - 14/10/25

Tuesday 14th October | #50 | Join Free

Hey there, welcome to your Tuesday edition of Beyond the Basket. Today we’re looking at one of the most overlooked parts of eCommerce, and why it might be your biggest driver of loyalty and growth. (Spoiler🚨: it’s delivery.) We’ve also got news on China’s response to Trump’s latest tariff threats, plus Zalando’s latest move into Portugal. Let’s get into it 👇 Mike Callachan - (BtB Founder)

In today’s beyond the basket:
📦 Delivery is the conversion killer you're ignoring
📊 September retail growth hides caution underneath
🔍 Google now lets you hide ads, after you see them
🌍 Zalando expands to Portugal, adds beauty in Spain
🚢 China hits U.S. ships with steep retaliatory port fees

✚ And if you’ve got time for a deeper dive, we’ve rounded up three smart reads, from the surprising rebirth of shopping centres to how Etsy sellers are reacting to ChatGPT’s new in-chat checkout.

Your delivery options might be killing more sales than your ad creative.

81% of shoppers abandon their basket if their preferred delivery method isn't available. Not price. Not trust signals. Delivery options.

The bar's moved. Next-day is baseline. Amazon just added same-day to 20 more UK cities. Your customers know what's possible, and they're comparing you to the best experience they've ever had, not your competitors.

Yet most indie brands offer two vague options: standard or express.

Why this matters now

Delivery isn't pure logistics anymore. It's part of your value proposition. And it impacts conversion before checkout, not just satisfaction after.

When shoppers don't see what they expect, weekend delivery, click-and-collect, specific arrival times, they bounce. Before you even get a chance to win them back.

Three moves to test this month

Read the full breakdown → (deep dive on localising inventory, A/B testing messaging, and how delivery shapes CAC)

Don’t just offer free standard shipping after a certain spend, offer express or next-day shipping instead. Framing it as a premium unlock adds real perceived value. In our tests, this simple tweak doubled AOV.

TL;DR: UK retail sales rose 2.3% in September, slightly above the 12-month average, but growth came from food inflation and big-ticket tech launches, not broad consumer confidence.

Why it Matters: Food spending was up 4.3%, but much of that was inflation, not basket volume. Non-food sales rose just 0.7%, with fashion and home lagging. Where consumers did spend, it was targeted, think new iPhones, not new wardrobes. That points to a budget-conscious shopper making deliberate choices, not browsing freely. With the Budget ahead and business rates in flux, retailers are entering Q4 without much margin for error.

Your Move: Double down on hero SKUs and clear value. Avoid overstocking fringe categories, most customers are buying with purpose, not curiosity.

TL;DR: Google Search ads are now grouped under a collapsible “Sponsored” section , but only after they’ve loaded and appeared on screen.

Why it Matters: It’s a small UX shift with big implications for discovery. By clustering ads and labelling them as “Sponsored,” Google cleans up the interface, but doesn’t cut ad visibility. Users can collapse the section, but only after scrolling past it. For brands, that means above-the-fold placement remains protected, even as the design feels more optional.

Consider this: Expect slightly more attention competition at the very top of SERPs. If you’re running Google Ads, monitor click-through rates this month, visual changes often impact performance before the algorithm adjusts.

TL;DR: Zalando has launched a dedicated site in Portugal and introduced beauty products in Spain, marking its first new market entry since 2022.

Why it Matters: Zalando’s moves show that even in mature eCommerce markets, cross-border growth is far from done, especially with localised UX (like its new AI assistant) and category extensions like beauty. Portugal’s eCommerce spend is projected to grow 60% by 2029, and beauty adds AOV and frequency without major logistics overhaul. For operators, it’s a reminder: localised experiences + strategic category layering = growth playbook.

What to Consider: Zalando’s expansion into Portugal suggests confidence in cross-border logistics. If you’re shipping from a single hub (say, in NL or DE), look at neighbouring countries where CAC is low and delivery SLAs are realistic. You may not need local warehousing to test demand.

TL;DR: China has imposed new port fees on U.S.-linked vessels, mirroring U.S. charges on Chinese ships, with both taking effect 14 October. Fees will rise annually through 2028.

Why it Matters: While eCommerce brands aren’t moving containers themselves, these escalating tit-for-tat tariffs could drive up freight costs and complicate routing. Even if you’re not directly importing from China or the U.S., carriers may pass along higher operating costs through surcharges or capacity shifts. It’s one more layer of volatility for supply chains heading into peak season, especially if talks between Trump and Xi at the APEC summit don’t cool tensions.

Think about this: If you’re reliant on transpacific shipping lanes, lock in rates early and watch for Q4 surcharges. Diversifying your freight forwarders or regional fulfilment partners might offer more stability through 2026.

Curated deep dives, longer reads and analysis shaping the future of eCommerce and digital marketing.

From Dead Malls to Town Squares
Beyond the Basket (5 min read) Read Here ›
How disused retail spaces are quietly becoming local infrastructure, and what that means for community-led commerce.

How Top Brands Are Driving Growth with Unified Commerce
Adweek (6 min read) Read Here ›
Smart brands are blurring the lines between channels, data, and fulfilment, and seeing faster growth because of it.

Etsy Sellers Aren’t Sure About the New ChatGPT Checkout Integration
Digiday (4 min read) Read Here ›
Etsy’s new AI-enabled shopping experience raises fresh questions about brand visibility, control, and margins for marketplace sellers.