With the holidays in full swing, same-day delivery is on full display: DoorDash and Instacart drivers navigating through neighborhoods, boxes sitting on front porches, and smiling customers opening front doors as packages arrive. Same-day delivery represents a growing customer expectation, as 80% of consumers expect retailers to offer it, and 30% of those consumers want that delivery at no extra cost.
Increasingly, retailers are meeting the same-day delivery expectation; 51% of online retailers now report offering the service, and 65% plan to add it in the next two years. Driving the growth are the big players, early adopters like Walmart, Amazon, Target, big box beauty retailers, and more, as well as certain demographics, the younger generations in particular.
For consumers in the 18–34-year age bracket, convenience rules. These digital natives look for same-day delivery more than any other group, and 56% of them expect it. This also plays out in urban areas, where customers believe they are in easy reach for delivery, as well as those procrastinators who often leave purchases until the last minute.
While it’s easy to assume same-day delivery is essential, brands must carefully consider all sides of the equation. Namely, is same-day delivery feasible, or simply hype?
Who really wants same-day delivery, and for what?
Same-day delivery is an appealing concept all around, but a closer look reveals its greatest appeal is in certain categories and with specific demographics. The most popular categories for same-day delivery include groceries and health products. Some 64% of consumers expect their groceries to arrive within 24 hours of placing their orders, and 53 percent expect the same from pharmaceuticals. Other products with high expectations for same-day delivery include electronics and household goods, followed by beauty, fashion, and accessories.
In terms of who expects same-day delivery, younger generations are the big drivers. Growing up with devices in hand, the 18-to 34-year-old consumer is most likely to believe same-day delivery is a given. They are less likely to visit brick-and-mortar stores, and ecommerce giants like Amazon have always been an option in their world.
Urban dwellers, likewise, have high expectations for same-day delivery. They are accustomed to rapid doorstep deliveries in almost any category, and this bleeds over into their ecommerce expectations, too. And for those with highly packed schedules, nothing rates higher than the convenience of placing an order online and having it appear the same day.
In short, the same-day delivery crowd places high value on convenience, time savings, brand-experience expectations, and “need-it-now” living.
Same-day delivery is trending
As the holiday season takes hold, same-day delivery is taking center stage, and some companies are taking notice and delivering on expectations. Major players continue to fuel the trend, and new entrants are creating even more consumer momentum.
Shipt is one example of how demand is expanding beyond groceries and into gifting, convenience items, and last-minute essentials. Its new same-day gift delivery feature allows shoppers to send presents across town, complete with digital messages and real-time tracking. With partnerships across more than 100 retailers, including Target, Michaels, Ulta, and Costco, Shipt is making rapid delivery feel effortless for shoppers juggling tight schedules, shorter holiday calendars, and the desire to skip crowded stores altogether.
At the same time, Amazon is pushing the boundaries of speed even further. The company is quietly testing Amazon Now, a program promising ultra-fast delivery in under 30 minutes in select markets. By leveraging micro-fulfillment sites and its vast internal delivery network, Amazon is aiming to redefine convenience yet again and compete directly with rapid-delivery players like DoorDash and Instacart.
Platforms like Shipt are broadening what qualifies for same-day delivery while Amazon is compressing delivery windows to near-instant. Together, these moves signal a clear shift: rapid fulfillment isn’t a niche service. It’s steadily evolving into a standard expectation, one that brands must factor into their operational strategies if they want to stay competitive.
What it takes: The logistics behind ultrafast delivery
Given all the demand for same-day delivery, and consumer willingness to pay for it, brands need to take a close look at whether they can accommodate. Consumers are increasingly loyal to those brands that can step up to the plate, and the return on investment is often there.
That said, same-day delivery is complex and requires a hard look at processes, technology investment, and fulfillment networks. To carry out same-day delivery, brands need to invest in their last-mile network in a cost-effective manner, offering delivery windows, flexibility, and real-time dispatch.
This involves strategically placing regional micro-fulfillment centers to get inventory closer to the customer. This allows for faster delivery along with lower costs. Within those fulfillment centers, brands must carry safety stock, perform dynamic slotting, and create real-time dispatch.
The logistics of same-day delivery also require strict order processing and cut-off times. Brands need processes and automation that provide for real-time order ingestion, fast pick and pack workflows, priority sortation, and dedicated evening and early-morning shifts. Without those strategies in place, same-day delivery becomes out of reach.
Finally, visibility is a cornerstone of any same-day delivery strategy. Brands must be able to track orders in real time, set cut-off alerts, and stay on top of carriers. To achieve that, brands must employ robust software like a modern WMS and TMS that can handle seamless integrations.
Can a 3PL handle same-day delivery? How to evaluate a potential partner.
For many brands, accomplishing same-day delivery is simply out of reach. That’s when they turn to a trusted 3PL partner. But before handing over the keys, it’s critical to evaluate potential partners to determine if they are up to the task. A partner will need network density; local warehouse/facility distribution; a flexible labor pool; last-mile partners or the capability to manage last-mile delivery; and fast pick/pack workflows.
To evaluate your potential 3PL partners, ask these questions:
- What’s your geographic coverage?
- Do you support same-day SLA?
- What’s your cut-off and dispatch model?
- How do you handle returns or failed deliveries?
Weigh the trade-offs and costs of partnering with a 3PL, and when same-day delivery makes sense versus when it doesn’t. If carrier costs, complexity, packaging, and labor costs go up through partnership, then it doesn’t provide a return on investment. The goal should be improved customer loyalty, higher margins, and the ability to deliver premium SKUs.
What brands and on-demand providers are doing
What does same-day delivery look like in practice? In the grocery industry, it might show up as Instacart, used by Kroger, Wegmans, Publix, and more. Instacart provides full-stack, end-to-end fulfillment technologies that can deliver as quickly as one hour. Big-box retailers like Target, Home Depot, and Walmart depend on regional micro-fulfillment centers, dark-store models, local courier networks, and gig-based delivery through services like Uber.
Hybrid models also support rapid delivery strategies. These include curbside pickup, next-day delivery with optional same-day add-on, click-and-collect, and more, which help balance out the speed and cost equation. Brand leaders need to keep all options on the table to provide expected delivery windows, manage returns, and create pricing models that make sense.
Smart alternatives to same-day delivery
While there’s a strong case to be made for same-day delivery, it isn’t the answer to every situation. Cases where same-day delivery doesn’t make sense and/or better alternatives exist include:
- Situations where same-day adds little value. These are low-urgency situations, bulky items, low-margin products, and products with a long shelf life.
- Smart alternatives can include expedited next-day, two-day economy, store pickup/BOPIS/curbside options, which all prove popular in certain cases.
- Strategic segmentation is another option. In this case, brands offer same-day selectively only for certain SKUs or geographies to manage cost and complexity.
How brands can make same-day delivery work
Same-day delivery is a complex set of strategies and technologies. Before brands can move forward, they must have key elements in place. These include a distributed inventory strategy, a reliable 3PL partnership, a robust fulfillment and last-mile network, flexible labor pools, and real-time order and delivery visibility.
Best practices for same-day delivery include:
- Clear cut-off times
- Inventory buffers
- Priority labeling/handling
- Dedicated lanes or packaging for same-day
- Processes for returns and failed deliveries
- A customer communications strategy that includes clear expectations, order tracking, transparent cut-off and delivery window messaging, and fallback options like next day or pickup.
Is same-day delivery an option for your brand?
Same-day delivery remains a powerful competitive differentiator, and going forward, will increasingly become a necessity in some industries. But same-day delivery is only successful when brands back it with strategic planning, the right fulfillment network, and all the accompanying tools and technology.
Kase understands same-day delivery. Its team is experienced in omnichannel and ecommerce delivery, capable of helping brands assess feasibility, implement distributed inventory and last-mile solutions, and scale without sacrificing reliability.
If same-day delivery is on your radar, reach out to Kase to explore its feasibility and determine a path forward. Kase knows how to balance speed, cost, and customer satisfaction; all the necessary elements for successful same-day delivery.
