As retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Target up the ante on delivery speed, fast shipping has never been more in demand. And the threshold for what consumers are willing to pay has gotten lower.
Consumers now expect orders that offer free shipping to arrive as quickly as two to three days, according to the recently published 2026 AlixPartners Home Delivery Survey.
Among the 1,000 U.S. consumers surveyed, the maximum average they are willing to wait for an online order to arrive is 2.6 days—down nearly one full day from the previous five-year average of 3.5 days.
Consumer sentiment during the 2021-2025 period was stable as e-commerce sellers fortified their delivery capabilities, with the study reporting maximum averages of 3.4 days in two of the years, and 3.5 days in the other three years.
AlixPartners identified that the sharp drop in 2026 “does not indicate rising impatience alone, but a reset in perceived feasibility.” The consultancy also noted that the results reflect broader exposure to faster fulfillment, a reduced tolerance for delay risk and the normalization of sub-three-day delivery across everyday categories.
“The speed and free shipping expectations consumers hold today were once reserved for Amazon Prime members. They are now the floor—not the ceiling—for every category of retail,” said Marc Iampieri, global co-leader of logistics and transportation and partner and managing director at AlixPartners in a statement. “Retailers who treat home delivery as a cost line to minimize, rather than a customer experience to invest in, are quietly surrendering loyalty they may never recover.”
The environment is getting more challenging for retailers as they invest more into faster shipping, while consumers remain willing to leave amid a poor experience.
Despite 64 percent of executives surveyed saying home delivery was not yet profitable and 83 percent saying their per-package costs have increased year over year, they can ill afford to ignore consumers’ intolerance for product delays. More than 20 percent of demand is estimated to be at risk when these timing expectations are not met, AlixPartners wrote.
According to the survey, 61 percent of shoppers said a late delivery weakens their willingness to buy from a retailer again, with 27 percent saying they would stop buying from them outright. If a retailer botches a delivery twice, the “boycotting” number jumps to 52 percent.
“In fashion and apparel, the last mile is the last impression. When a package arrives late, damaged, or without communication, the brand takes the hit—not the carrier,” said Chris Considine, partner in AlixPartners’ retail practice. “Our clients in specialty retail and luxury are now treating carrier selection and delivery communication standards as core brand decisions, not operational afterthoughts.”
As retailers aim to catch up to the industry giants and their consumers’ appetites, they are diversifying their last-mile capabilities to catch up, working with third parties including Roadie, Veho, DoorDash, Uber and OnTrac among others.
More than half (55 percent) of companies report using last-mile carriers other than FedEx, UPS and USPS.
The alternatives are becoming more endearing to retailers, with 32 percent saying they use four last-mile carriers or more. Of the 100 executives reflected in the survey, roughly 33 percent said that they are shifting last-mile volume away from the “big three.”
“Carrier diversification used to be a cost play. It is now a resilience and brand play,” said Considine. “The retailers gaining ground are those who have built multi-carrier architectures that let them route around service failures in real time—and who understand that for their premium customers, the carrier badge on the box is part of the product.”
The AlixPartners survey was geared toward transportation, logistics and supply chain executives at companies generating $100 million or more in revenue.
Across both the consumer and executive surveys, artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a high-confidence investment priority for home delivery.
Executives say their top AI priorities over the next two or three years include more reliable and accurate ETAs (68 percent), real-time routing optimization (56 percent) and reduced failed deliveries (49 percent).
These align directly with consumers’ wish lists, which are led by live tracking and 24/7 proactive delay notifications. Ninety percent of consumers surveyed say it is important to be notified when an order is expected to be late and to be informed of the updated ETA.
