What Customers Really Expect From Shipping in 2025: Expert Insights

The modern retail system has gained popularity since 2020 due to its wider product selection and convenience. Online buyers of current age now expect more from e-commerce brands than just a quality product. From live shipping tracking to personalizing their delivery time, customers have a very high expectation from their product delivery, just as they demand from the product.

Research on brand shipping concluded that poor delivery options and unexpected or high shipping costs can result in a bad brand image. We help hundreds of brands implement flexible shipping strategies according to their unique product market.

Read this guide if you want to explore current shipping trends, what buyers expect from brands, and how to compete with your other in the market.

Some years ago, free shipping and low prices were considered a premium experience by customers. Now they are the bare minimum and simply the brand baseline. A study by McKinsey shows that over 90% of consumers expect 2 to 3 days of free shipping from the brand. The following are the main points that can drive today's expectations of customers:

Speed, visibility, and consumer convenience are the primary expectations people have for the shipment of their product. They no longer value traditional management and instead assess whether the brands they follow incorporate technology and digital tools into their logistics. Here are the most popular and proven to be successful, technologically driven practices in shipping:

Sending only “order shipped” mail to the customers is not enough, now, but they want a retail time tracking experience to see all other details like where their product is currently, when it will be dispatched, and on which date they will receive it.

One of our clients was having a lot of returns and bad feedback for shipping. We implemented a branded tracking page for his mid-size apparel brand, which resulted in a massive reduction in customer support inquiries about delivery status.

The 3 to 5-day product delivery is no longer a luxury in shipping market trends, but one day is. Now, AI-driven logistics platforms provide predictive delivery windows that result in real carrier performance. According to the research of ShipperHQ, about 60% of consumers rank the correct delivery date more important than the fast shipment.

Brands are rapidly transitioning to AI-powered carrier models, enabling real-time shipping for each shipment. These systems utilize machine learning to automatically determine the optimal cost and speed for shipping products to customers, thereby enhancing customer satisfaction. These systems ingest a large volume of data, such as:

AI is getting out of hand in every industry, and it offers a new wave in shipping products. Supply chain innovation is unfolding through new technologies and promises an exciting future.

Customers demand customization in literally everything, whether it's about choosing the product size or when their orders will arrive. So, your brand delivery must be transparent and tailored to individual preferences. This way, you can gain measurable gains in your brand loyalty and customer satisfaction. Below are the three ways that can help you ensure flexibility:

Different delivery options at checkout can help gain wider support from buyers. People can select different options according to their specific needs and priorities. A single record shipping option may not be sufficient for many buyers, and they end up not buying the product. The following are the delivery methods that can drive conversions:

Setting multiple delivery options during checkout strengthens the purchasing experience, but if you want to convert this into a cohesive delivery journey, then you need to do a lot more. According to Narvar’s study, about 83% of buyers reported that they perceived a good image of the brand just because they have an attractive tracking platform. Here are the key elements of a branded delivery experience:

Your return process should be as hassle-free as your delivery process. It improves confidence and helps you drive higher repeat purchase rates. So, if you want to become a competitive differentiator, then do not consider return and exchange just a cost centre, make it a more easy experience for customers. Elements of modern returns personalisation are as follows:

The shipping industry has seen one of the most profound transformations due to the rising online buyers. Data-driven approaches and emerging technology are the two main future of the shipping industry that we should incorporate in shipping to meet the Expectations of 2025 buyers. Here are the 5 most trending shipping techniques accelerating through 2025:

Brands need to take delivery as an extension of customer relations, not just a back-end function, because this is the first direct interaction of your brand with customers. 2025 is the year to upgrade, to impress, and to focus on personalisation. Contact Calcurates if you need any shipping advice, multi-origin shipping, or want to know about the shipping zone. Build your brand loyalty with us that lasts!