Fulfilment speed is playing a growing role in retailer choice and purchasing behaviour, according to new research from logistics technology business Zippd, as consumers place greater value on speed and convenience throughout the shopping journey.
According to the Instant Commerce Index, 42% of consumers aged 25 to 44 are more likely to buy from a retailer offering same day delivery, while more than one in four (27%) say fast delivery makes them more likely to make last minute purchases. Perhaps most concerning for retailers is that one in five consumers (19%) admit they would switch to another retailer if it could deliver significantly faster, highlighting how fulfilment speed is becoming a direct threat to customer retention and long term loyalty.
Together, the results indicate a broader shift taking place across e-commerce. Historically viewed as a post purchase operational function, fulfilment is becoming increasingly influential before purchase, shaping retailer choice, purchase intent and conversion. Retailers are competing not only on product, price and brand, but on how quickly they can place products into customers’ hands.
According to Zippd, this trend is particularly visible among marketplaces, where speed and convenience are increasingly being promoted alongside traditional competitive advantages such as product assortment and price. As fulfilment becomes more visible within customer propositions, it is beginning to play a greater role in customer acquisition as well as conversion.
Consumers appear willing to pay towards faster delivery, but only when pricing remains relatively accessible. Around four in ten consumers would pay more than £2 for faster delivery, regardless of whether they are shopping with a traditional retailer or marketplace. However, willingness to pay starts to decline once the service is priced above £5, highlighting the challenge retailers face in balancing consumer expectations with delivery economics. These results suggest rapid delivery is more likely to succeed as a broadly accessible convenience, rather than a premium service.
As shopping journeys become shorter and more immediate, fulfilment is beginning to influence decisions that were once driven primarily by product, price and brand alone.
Gemma Taylor, co-founder of Zippd, commented: ‘The most significant finding isn’t that customers want faster delivery – retailers have known that for years. What is changing is the role fulfilment plays within the customer journey.
‘We are beginning to see this shift as more brands and marketplaces are making fulfilment speed a visible part of the customer proposition, enabling brands to differentiate beyond product and price alone.
The research forms part of Zippd’s Instant Commerce Index, which explores how the gap between product discovery, purchase and delivery is rapidly shrinking. The report argues that fulfilment is becoming increasingly influential throughout the customer journey, from product discovery and purchase intent through to conversion and customer retention.
As consumer expectations around convenience continue to evolve, retailers face growing pressure to consider fulfilment as part of the customer proposition rather than solely an operational capability. Delivery speed is becoming increasingly relevant to how consumers discover, evaluate and purchase products across a growing range of retail categories.
Zippd helps e-commerce brands and global marketplaces manage fast fulfilment more efficiently across large seller networks. Its technology connects directly with ecommerce and delivery platforms, helping businesses expand delivery capabilities, speed up fulfilment and reduce operational complexity through one connected network.