The Fulfilment Gap

What Shoppers Expect vs What Retailers are Delivering

Today’s shoppers move fast, and they expect their deliveries to keep up. But while 60% of consumers expect their orders to arrive within two days, only 30% of all EU retailers can meet that demand. The consequences of this gap are clear: rising cart abandonment, lost revenue and a customer experience that breaks down at the final mile. It’s time to rethink fulfilment, not as a cost centre, but as a strategic advantage.

What shoppers want

Speed, flexibility and transparency are not optional for a successful experience

Expectations around delivery have shifted dramatically in recent years. Convenience is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s essential.

More than ever, consumers are prioritising speed. Six in ten shoppers now expect their orders to arrive in two days or less, and that number climbs even higher among younger demographics. For shoppers under 35, delivery speed is one of the top concerns when choosing where to buy.

But speed is just one part of the equation. Today’s customers also want flexibility, transparency and control. They expect real-time tracking, convenient delivery windows and seamless returns. When those expectations aren’t met, they don’t hesitate to abandon their carts and look elsewhere.

Where retailers are falling behind

The last mile remains one of the biggest weak points in the retail experience.

Despite rising expectations, only 30% of EU retailers can meet the 2-day benchmark. And the consequences are staggering:

• £38 billion was lost to online cart abandonment in the UK in 2024
• 24% of all purchases were abandoned, an 11%. increase YoY
• 66% of frequent online shoppers abandon carts at least once a month due to poor delivery options

From high costs and slow speeds to lack of tracking and inflexible windows, the fulfilment experience is falling short, and shoppers are noticing.

The numbers behind the fulfilment gap

Cart abandonment is a symptom of a bigger problem

Retailers aren’t failing for lack of effort. The challenge lies in outdated infrastructures, fragmented carrier networks and a lack of visibility across the fulfilment chain.

• Only 24% of retailers feel confident managing multiple carrier partners
• That number drops to 18% for small and medium-sized businesses

How to close the gap

Turning fulfilment into a strategic advantage

At DeliveryApp, we believe fulfilment should be a growth driver. That’s why we’re helping retailers transform their delivery operations with:

• Same-day delivery that boosts AOV and conversions
• Hyperlocal fulfilment to bring stock closer to customers
• Real-time tracking and direct driver messaging for full transparency
• Smart route optimisation and AI-powered collection windows to reduce costs and improve speed
• Returns collection that’s fast, convenient and customer-friendly

We help retailers transform fulfilment from a cost centre into a growth engine, powered by smarter connections between people, technology and operations.

The bottom line

The brands that win will be the ones that deliver

The fulfilment gap is real and it’s costing retailers more than just revenue. It’s limiting trust, loyalty and long-term growth. But with the right strategy and the right partner, that gap becomes an opportunity.

Ready to make fulfilment your advantage?
Let’s talk!