The importance of same-day delivery cannot be overstated. In 2020, 73% of people reported spending more time shopping online than they did in previous years, a statistic that’s bound to increase as ecommerce continues to grow in popularity.
As customer shopping habits change and evolve, what consumers expect from their businesses and retailers is changing, too, especially when it comes to the fulfillment experience.
Below, you’ll find 10 same-day delivery statistics that’ll provide you with insight for your business when it comes to delivery for your customers.
10 Same day delivery statistics
More than half of online shoppers don’t want to wait two days for fast shipping
Expectations surrounding delivery times are changing. Previously, ‘fast shipping’ meant receiving your order in 2 days or less. Today, faster delivery for customers means receiving their order the same day they placed it!
Today, only 44% of customers are willing to wait more than two days or more for shipping that’s labelled as ‘fast.’ If you offer speedy delivery, it better live up to the expectations of your customers! If not, prepare to lose 56% of your customers to retailers that offer it.
77% of Online shoppers say that convenience is the most important reason to shop online
Nothing beats the convenience of skipping the shopping center in favour of shopping from the comfort of your own home. Still, businesses can only maintain this convenience if they have the means to deliver on the fulfillment experience.
As social media giants such as Instagram and Facebook implement shopping channels on their platforms, more and more consumers are engaging with brands through multiple touchpoints and channels.
For example, shoppers can place an order on their phone during their morning commute and drop by the store during their lunch break to pick up their order.
They can also place an order online and have it delivered to their door at or after a specific time for extra security and convenience.
With 77% of shoppers citing convenience as their primary reason for shopping online, failing to provide flex delivery options in addition to same-day delivery can inconvenience your customers and cause them to avoid placing an order with your business altogether.
41% of Online shoppers are willing to pay more for same day delivery
Time is priceless, which is why 41% of online shoppers are willing to pay a premium for same-day delivery, with another 24% ready to pay even more to receive their packages within a flexible delivery window of their choosing.
55% of Online shoppers abandon their carts if delivery is too expensive
While some customers are willing to pay more to receive their packages faster, many more aren’t ready to budge on expensive delivery fees. One study from the Baymard Institute found that one of the biggest causes for shopping cart abandonment is costly shipping fees.
However, choosing between offering same-day and cheap delivery doesn’t have to be a binary choice, as we’ll explore in the following statistic.
More than half of shoppers aged 18-34 expect same-day delivery
Same-day delivery is so important that 56% of shoppers expect it to be the standard. The same survey found that not only do consumers expect it, but 41% are also willing to pay extra to receive it.
Many businesses misunderstand same-day delivery as an expensive option, but this doesn’t always have to be the case.
With more than half of consumers prepared to pay more for the service, business owners have the option of letting their customers pay for the slightly more expensive costs or pay for it themselves.
Reliability is a top concern for 46% of consumers
Same-day delivery is an expectation for an overwhelming majority of shoppers, but being dependable is also a priority, with 46% of consumers ranking it as a top attribute.
Nobody likes unexpected delays and disruptions. Customers expect a degree of certainty regarding their deliveries, whatever the reason may be.
If you’re not dependable with your delivery times, you might suffer heavily as a result, as we’ll see in the following statistic.
Only 20% of consumers are willing to forgive delivery disruptions
Supply chain issues were a significant problem during 2021. Already severely affected by the ongoing COVID19 pandemic, the blocking of the Suz Canal by the grounding of the Ever Given cargo ship early on in the spring.
While businesses might be more forgiving of supply chain disruptions, customers are less likely to reconcile the delay in receiving their packages.
A survey found that only 20% of consumers were willing to forgive businesses for delivery disruptions that resulted from supply chain issues in 2021.
Having safety stock on hand can help provide some insurance against sudden fluctuations in demand and supply. Still, your fulfillment experience has to be locked down if you want to avoid displeasing your customers.
57% of Customers won’t purchase from a retailer after experiencing unprofessionalism from a courier
Even if your business offers the lowest prices with the fastest shipping times, you can still make a mess of things if your fleet or courier service isn’t up to par with the rest of your offerings.
If your couriers or delivery team isn’t courteous and professional to your customers, 57% of customers won’t purchase from you again.
Cutting costs on your same-day delivery service might make sense in the short term, but it can lead to some disastrous results in the long run if you’re not diligent about keeping your customers happy.
63% of Online shoppers Care about guaranteed delivery dates and arrival times
If you order something online, you wouldn’t want to be left in the dark about when it’ll arrive, especially if you go through the trouble of scheduling it.
While arrival times can fluctuate due to unexpected delays and disruptions, knowing when a package will arrive is still essential to as many as 63% of online shoppers.
Even if the delivery is delayed, providing customers with delivery updates or predictive ETAs for their parcels like Cantec Couriers can help alleviate some of their concerns.
Despite customer expectations for same-day delivery, only 53% of businesses are offering It
As we’ve seen above, affordable, reliable and quality same-day delivery is an expectation that many online shoppers have. In spite of the demand, only a little over half of businesses and retailers offer it.
Same day delivery statistics can’t be ignored
As the above same-day delivery statistics show, the importance of fulfilling deliveries the same day that customers place them can’t be ignored.
As direct-to-consumer fulfillment grows in popularity, we can only expect these expectations to increase until same-day delivery isn’t just an expectation but a norm.
However, the challenges of providing same-day delivery also can’t be overstated.
Maximizing customer satisfaction, increasing customer retention, and reducing your cart abandonment rate are just some of the benefits that providing same-day delivery can bring but executing on these benefits is challenging.
