A new year always offers the opportunity for a fresh start. If you’re a retailer, you’re just past peak season and likely handling post-peak returns processes while taking stock of inventory and assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the holiday rush.
In the rapidly evolving retail landscape, delivery options have become a critical factor that shapes consumer behavior. The truth is that consumers want a variety of delivery options at checkout. Crucially, affordability and speed are of the essence, regardless of package dimensions and distribution center distance. So, as you evaluate your processes and final-mile fulfillment plans for 2025, you might wonder whether you should integrate same-day delivery solutions into your arsenal.
Read on to explore some key industry trends and how same-day delivery can differentiate your business from the competition.
Economic factors & flexibility
Economic conditions undoubtedly influence consumer priorities when it comes to delivery options. However, the impact is not as straightforward as you might expect. While cost-consciousness may drive some consumers to opt for slower, cheaper delivery methods, the demand for speed and convenience remains strong across various market segments.
In the not-so-distant past, Gen Z listed sustainability as a critical factor in delivery. It’s still very much a priority, but according to recent McKinsey research, “value upstages values,” given ongoing economic uncertainty and inflation.
As a retailer, that shouldn’t deter you from offering same-day delivery in 2025. Quite the opposite, in fact. Customers want choices, whether shopping on your website or arranging delivery in-store.
Shoppers may order products online they don’t need right away, but they’ll also purchase goods that they want within hours. Giving customers delivery options — whether it’s free five-day shipping, an overnight flat rate or same-day delivery — helps meet both their short-term needs and longer-term desires.
Providing diverse choices, including same-day delivery, can push your business forward in 2025.
Why prioritize same-day delivery in 2025
The surge in e-commerce has also dramatically shifted consumer expectations, with speed becoming a critically important purchase decision criteria. Multiple delivery options allow retailers to cater to various customer needs and preferences. These include:
- Meeting diverse customer demands: While some purchases can wait, others are time-sensitive. Providing options ensures you meet the needs of every customer with every timeline.
- Competitive advantage: Amazon may have been one of the first to set high standards for delivery speed, but the gap is narrowing … and fast. If you want to keep up, you need to consider adding same-day delivery in 2025.
- Increased sales and customer retention: Eighty-two percent of consumers say they’re more likely to buy from a retailer that offers same-day delivery. Additionally, almost a third of retailers reported a 10% revenue increase when they added same-day options; they also reported a 66% improvement in retention rates.
Benefits of an on-demand delivery solution for same-day delivery
Implementing same-day delivery can be challenging for any retailer, especially if you don’t have access to extensive logistics networks. So, how do you fulfill consumers’ expectations of ultrafast delivery in a way that works with your business? A platform like Roadie.
With a network of more than 200,000 independent drivers, Roadie enables you to offer flexible checkout options without elevated expenses. Here are a few ways Roadie can help your business transform operations and offer same-day delivery as fast as two hours.
Forgo added fees on large items
If you’ve shipped big and bulky orders from your brick-and-mortar location or warehouse, you’re aware of the extra charges associated with these shipments. Dimensional weight serves as the basis for delivery fees, and, let’s face it, it’s a pain to determine cost based on how heavy or bulky an item is, especially when you’re sending out large order quantities during a peak season rush. Those fees add up even more if you’re shipping items over carrier maximums. Roadie allows you to offer flat fees for same-day fulfillment — yes, even for that sectional sofa.
Extend cut-off times
When a customer makes a purchase at 3 p.m. and wants it delivered that day, they may be out of luck if you’re relying on the postal service or another traditional carrier for your final mile. Roadie enables round-the-clock delivery, ensuring retailers can fulfill orders at any time, improving operational efficiency and capturing a wider customer base.
Forget a 5 p.m. cut-off. Once a customer places an order, Roadie can match you with a driver who can pick it up directly from your facility and deliver it straight to your customer’s doorstep that same day or night, 365 days a year.
Give customers real-time updates on their delivery
Flexible delivery options matter; when customers click the same-day delivery option, they also want to know where their order is. With real-time delivery tracking, the Roadie platform enables you, the retailer, and your customer to get real-time tracking and photographic chain of custody so all stakeholders know where the order is at every step of the process. This not only gives customers transparency, but also peace of mind that their order will be delivered within the desired time frame.
Reach customers near — and far
In the past, same-day delivery was largely reserved for densely populated urban areas, but same-day solutions with Roadie help you broaden your reach by up to 100 miles, even to those harder-to-reach locations. Roadie connects you with drivers in all 50 U.S. states, covering more than 29,000 zip codes.
Streamline integration
Setting up same-day delivery doesn’t have to be a hassle. Roadie provides a user-friendly web platform and API integration options, allowing any retailer to seamlessly incorporate same-day delivery into their existing systems and workflows, minimizing disruption and facilitating quick implementation in just a few weeks. This gives you the ability to quickly adapt and scale to changing customer demands in 2025 without months-long tech hurdles.
Change the game with big & bulky delivery
In the past, it took even the big-box retailers as long as several weeks to get an appliance or piece of furniture into a customer’s home. RoadieXL™ specializes in enabling delivery of those awkward, oversized pieces of equipment and goods to their final destination the day a customer places an order. RoadieXL™ can help your business excel at the same-day delivery game. You select the vehicle size you need for the job, and a driver will come with the expertise and any special handling equipment you specify to get the job done.
Shipping a high volume of those goods? RoadieXD™ is a scalable solution that combines cross-docking with the on-demand network of drivers using Roadie at a Roadie cross-dock facility. This solution allows you to ship a high volume of same-day deliveries using your existing fulfillment network the same way you ship other orders.
Delight customers in high-demand times
You may be packing up the seasonal decor, but you also need to be planning for how you’ll handle the 2025 peak season. Roadie enables you to quickly and effortlessly scale your delivery capacity during peak — and the post-peak returns rush, too — without maintaining your own fleet of vehicles.
As we quickly move into 2025, retailers of all sizes must recognize the critical role that delivery options play in maintaining competitiveness. By embracing crowdsourced delivery, they can efficiently and effectively add same-day delivery to their mix of options, meeting the needs of time-sensitive customers without overhauling their entire logistics infrastructure. This strategy not only satisfies the growing demand for rapid delivery but also positions retailers to thrive in an increasingly fast-paced retail environment. Learn more about how Roadie can transform your 2025 operations.
