Lead image courtesy of Ryder’s 2025 E-commerce Consumer Study

Expectations for free shipping among consumers continues to trend higher. According to Ryder’s 2025 E-commerce Consumer Study 76% of consumers say free shipping plays the biggest role when deciding where to purchase online, up from 64% in 2023. And among shoppers picking up online orders in-store, 71% did so to avoid shipping costs, up 8% from a year earlier. Free shipping thresholds continue to contribute to increased average order value. Seven of 10 consumers have added items to their cart to qualify for free shipping, per the study.

However, shoppers’ expectations for fast shipping speed have relaxed somewhat, Ryder found. Twenty-nine percent of consumers expect shipping in 1-2 days, compared to 34% in 2024. In addition, the segment of consumers who said they often make an online purchase specifically because it’s available with same-day delivery dropped 11 points from a year earlier down to 11%. Meanwhile, the number of consumers unwilling to pay for shipping that takes longer than two days fell by five points from 2024 to 2025 to 18%.

The study also found that scheduled delivery is gaining favor among consumers. Nearly a third of consumers (31%) report that scheduled delivery is more important than fast shipping.

The study draws from three consumer surveys conducted in January, March and May 2025.

This marks the 11th annual benchmark study on U.S. shopping behaviors, preferences, and expectations, conducted by the logistics and transportation provider Ryder, The full study can be downloaded here.