Consumers want faster, more flexible delivery with greater control. Whether it’s same-day delivery or scheduled time slots, delivery customer expectations are high, and businesses need to adapt.
But meeting these demands isn’t easy. Many retailers struggle to bridge the gap between what shoppers expect and what they can realistically deliver. According to the 2025 Ecommerce Delivery Benchmark Report, 90% of businesses report that customers now expect faster delivery and more tailored experiences. Cost and speed of delivery remain the top factors influencing where shoppers choose to buy.
To stay competitive, optimising your delivery experience is essential.
Navigating The Changing Landscape of Delivery Expectations
Same-day and next-day options have shifted how people shop—57% of consumers now expect their orders to arrive within two days.
Speed and reliability are now just as important as product selection and price. With shoppers prioritising retailers that offer rapid delivery options, you may lose customers to a competitor if your shipping speeds don’t meet their needs.
But today’s shoppers want more than just speed. Transparent communication and convenient delivery options are essential to meet busy consumer schedules. Basic expectations now extend to:
- The ability to choose delivery times that fit their schedule
- Real-time tracking and proactive updates on order status
- A consistent, on-time delivery experience with minimal delays
Shoppers are willing to pay for it, too. Over 55% of shoppers are now willing to pay extra for faster delivery options like same-day, next-day, or scheduled time slots.
The Role of Premium Delivery Options in Ecommerce
There’s a growing demand for control over when and how customers receive orders. Premium delivery options provide a high level of consumer control, offering options like:
- Same-day delivery: Getting products into customers’ hands within hours
- Express delivery: Faster shipping with guaranteed next-day or two-day arrivals
- Scheduled deliveries: Allowing shoppers to choose specific time slots for maximum convenience, including evenings and weekends
Offering premium shipping can differentiate you from competitors, which drives loyalty and repeat purchases. A massive 72% of frequent online shoppers are happy to pay for premium shipping options in 2025. Amazon sets itself apart with options such as same- and next-day shipping. This drives high levels of customer satisfaction, boosts conversions, and helps minimise cart abandonment rates.
Retailers Must Prioritise Delivery Flexibility
With increasingly busy schedules and lifestyles, the more flexible your shipping options, the better your chances of meeting delivery expectations and growing customer loyalty. To meet customers on their own terms, more retailers are now offering flexible options like:
- Evening and weekend deliveries
- Scheduled time slots
- Rescheduling options in case of last-minute changes, reducing failed deliveries
Pickup points and locker deliveries are also becoming a popular way to offer additional flexibility. When it’s tricky to schedule a convenient time at home, some customers prefer the autonomy of click-and-collect options.
Pickup delivery options can include:
- Retail store pickup: Driving foot traffic while offering customers another fulfilment option
- Parcel lockers: Secure, 24/7 pickup locations that eliminate missed deliveries
- PUDO (Pick-Up, Drop-Off) networks: Giving customers the freedom to retrieve packages at their convenience
To keep up, logistics companies are integrating AI, automation, and real-time tracking to optimise last-mile delivery. Smart routing ensures packages arrive faster, while AI-powered tracking keeps customers informed every step of the way.
Implement Real-Time Tracking and Proactive Communication
The days of vague “Your order has shipped” emails are over. Customers expect real-time updates at every stage of the delivery process. If they don’t get them, they’re more likely to contact customer service — or worse, lose trust in your brand. Shoppers now expect:
- Live tracking links to monitor their delivery status in real time
- Proactive notifications when a package is delayed or out for delivery
- Accurate estimated arrival times to avoid missed deliveries
Keeping customers informed in these ways reduces frustration and lowers “Where Is My Order?” (WISMO) inquiries, saving you time and resources. Proactive customer service, such as notifying a customer before delays happen, can turn a potential issue into a positive experience.
But don’t worry, these initiatives don’t have to take up your precious time. Using AI-powered logistics tools, businesses can automate many of these processes, like predicting delays and optimising routes. By integrating AI into your fulfilment process, you can ensure more accurate deliveries and reduce the risk of late or failed deliveries.
Overcome the Last-Mile Challenge
Whether you’re shipping to urban high-rises or remote rural areas, last-mile inefficiencies can cause delays, costing you money and customer satisfaction. Let’s explore the complexities in urban and rural delivery:
- Urban deliveries face shorter distances but come with traffic congestion and parking limitations. Combine that with high delivery density, and you will require smart routing and micro-fulfilment centres to keep up with demand.
- Rural deliveries struggle with longer distances and fewer carrier options. This pushes costs up, making crowdsourced delivery networks and localised distribution hubs more important.
To solve the last-mile problem, 49% of retailers are now using AI-powered technology to simplify and automate delivery and last-mile logistics. Other last-mile solutions include:
- Micro-fulfilment centres: Smaller, localised warehouses reduce shipping times
- Crowdsourced delivery: Gig economy drivers and local couriers speed up fulfilment
- Drones and autonomous vehicles: Cutting-edge technologies promise faster, lower-cost deliveries
Investing in these innovations can help you reduce costs, improve delivery success rates, and cater to diverse delivery preferences.
The Future of Delivery: What’s Next?
The next wave of logistics innovation isn’t just about speed but sustainability and transparency as well. To stay ahead, moving with new shifts in global needs will be important. Globally, more shoppers are becoming eco-conscious and looking for brands that match these values. Businesses can offer carbon-neutral shipping that includes electric delivery fleets or out-of-home pickup options to meet these expectations. Sustainable logistics will become a major differentiator in ecommerce.
AI will also continue to be a contributor in meeting global sustainability goals by:
- Predicting traffic patterns and weather conditions to optimise routes.
- Reducing failed deliveries by offering dynamic rescheduling options.
- Automating carrier selection to ensure the most efficient fulfilment process.
Offering flexible shipping like same-day, next-day, or scheduled delivery options, paired with a consistent delivery experience, will earn long-term loyalty.
Dominate Ecommerce Delivery in 2025
Delivery isn’t just about getting packages from point A to point B—it’s about the customer experience. Speed, flexibility, and innovation will set you apart in a competitive market. And the brands that succeed will prioritise meeting values and standards set by consumers.
Download the Metapack Ecommerce Delivery Benchmark 2025 Report to deep dive into everything ecommerce in 2025.