Fast or free? Unboxing delivery preferences among online shoppers

Delivery preferences

Most American online shoppers expect to receive deliveries within 3-5 days of ordering (57%)

Almost 1 in 3 expect to receive deliveries within 1-2 days (33%).

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What do you think is a reasonable delivery timeframe for online purchases?

0%

Same day delivery

0%

1-2 days

0%

3-5 days

0%

Over 5 days

0%

Don’t know

YouGov Surveys, February 14 - March 6, 2025. US online shoppers n> 1,200

Delivery preferences 3 in 4 American online shoppers say that fast delivery is important when deciding where to shop online (74%)

This is especially relevant for women who shop online, who are 5 percentage-points more likely to say it is important compared to their male counterparts.

How important or unimportant is fast delivery when deciding where to shop online?

YouGov Surveys, February 14 - March 6, 2025. US online shoppers by gender n> 550. Don't know not shown.

Delivery preferences Half of all online shoppers are willing to pay for faster delivery

51% of all American online shoppers are willing to pay for faster delivery options sometimes or always. Men who shop online are more likely to be willing to pay (55%) compared to women who shop online (49%).

Are you willing to pay for faster delivery options?

YouGov Surveys, February 14 - March 6, 2025. US online shoppers by gender n> 550

How important or unimportant is free shipping to your purchase decision?

0%

of US online shoppers answered: "Important"

0%

of US men who shop online answered: "Important"

0%

of US women who shop online answered: "Important"

YouGov Surveys, February 14 - March 6, 2025. US online shoppers by gender n> 550. Don't know not shown.

Delivery preferences

89%

of online shoppers say free shipping is important to their purchasing decisions

This increases to 92% among women who shop online (+6 percentage-points compared to men).

Delivery preferences

67%

of online shoppers say they sometimes or often find themselves spending more to qualify for free shipping

This increases to 72% among women who shop online (+9 percentage-points compared to men).

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Do you ever find yourself spending more than you intended to qualify for free shipping?

YouGov Surveys, February 14 - March 6, 2025 US online shoppers by gender n> 550

How likely or unlikely are you to shop with a retailer that does not offer free shipping, even with a minimum purchase amount?

0%

of US online shoppers answered: "Likely"

0%

of US online shoppers answered: "Neither likely nor unlikely"

0%

of US online shoppers answered: "Unlikely"

YouGov Surveys, February 14 - March 6, 2025. US online shoppers n> 1,200. Don't know not shown.

Delivery preferences

43%

of online shoppers are unlikely to shop with a retailer that does not offer free shipping

This increases to 48% among women who shop online (+10 percentage-points compared to men).

Delivery preferences

Speedy or cost-effective: What do Americans prioritize?

While more than one in five Americans will opt for lower delivery costs above all else (28%), the majority of online shoppers look for a balance of reasonable cost and delivery speed (62%).

When choosing between online retailers, which factor is more important to you?

A balance of reasonable cost and delivery speed

0%

Lower delivery cost, even if it takes longer

0%

Faster delivery, even if it costs more

0%

YouGov Surveys, February 14 - March 6, 2025. US online shopper n>1,200. Don't know not shown

Continue reading

Fulfilment deep dive »
The returns portal: Policy preferences »
Key takeaways »

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