Amazon Faces Free Two-to-Three-Day Shipping Standard as Logistics Costs Rise
AMZN•AMZN•AMZN•AMZN•U.S. consumers now demand free shipping within 2.6 days on average, nearly a full day faster than the 3.5-day five-year average. Retailers report 64 percent see home delivery as unprofitable and 83 percent cite rising per-package costs, with over 20 percent of demand at risk from missed timing.
Recent data shows U.S. consumers now expect free shipping within 2.6 days, down from the previous five-year average of 3.5 days, reflecting normalized sub-three-day fulfillment across major retailers.
Sixty-four percent of retail executives report home delivery is not yet profitable, while 83 percent say per-package costs have risen year over year, pressuring logistics budgets as faster shipping becomes the new standard.
More than 20 percent of consumer demand is estimated to be at risk if timing expectations are not met, with 61 percent of shoppers less willing to repurchase after a late delivery and 27 percent stopping purchases outright.
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