Locus released new findings from a survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers examining how online shopping habits are changing delivery, reverse logistics and overall customer expectations. The survey found that retail logistics is under growing pressure as shoppers place greater value on flexible delivery options, reliable fulfillment, convenient returns and fast refunds, while AI shopping tools begin to reshape how they discover and buy products.
Key findings:
- When choosing where to shop online, 34% of consumers still value fast delivery above all else, but 20% now say reliable, predictable delivery is their top priority.
- Forty-five percent of consumers are now using AI as either a primary or secondary online shopping tool; among that group, 39% say they’re more likely to try new brands or products, while 37% are more likely to purchase more items when using it.
- If provided a better overall or more environmentally friendly shopping experience, 58% of consumers are willing to consolidate deliveries into fewer packages, 40% would accept slower delivery times, and 22% are willing to pick up orders from a store or locker instead of home delivery.
- The returns experience plays a significant role in customer loyalty, with 68% of shoppers saying a fast refund makes them more likely to shop with a specific retailer again, and 54% saying they prefer to return items in-store.
- Gen Z is more accepting of return fees, with 45% now willing to pay between $1 and $10, while 85% of baby boomers still expect free returns.
Shoppers Are Raising the Bar for Retail Logistics
Shoppers still care about delivery speed, but speed alone isn’t enough anymore. The survey shows consumers are now paying much closer attention to the full delivery and returns experience, including whether orders arrive when expected, how easy it is to return an item and how quickly they get their money back.
AI shopping tools are also changing how people shop online. Some are using AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude to find new brands, compare more products and purchase more items at once. For retailers, that creates new opportunities, but it can also make demand harder to forecast and put more pressure on fulfillment teams.
“Retailers can’t plan around one version of the online shopper anymore,” said Nishith Rastogi, founder and CEO at Locus. “The challenge is not just that shoppers want more options. It’s that those expectations are changing across the entire purchase journey, from discovery to delivery to returns. While retailers need logistics operations that are flexible enough to adapt to different situations, they need to remain disciplined enough to protect cost, capacity and the promises they make to shoppers.”
How Will These Shifting Shopper Expectations Impact Peak Season 2026?
Early forecasts suggest retailers are heading into another busy holiday season. Overall, U.S. holiday retail sales are projected to grow 2.6% this year, while e-commerce is expected to grow 6.6%. This follows a record 2025 season in which U.S. consumers spent $257.8 billion online from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31.
“Another e-commerce-driven holiday season will put retailers to the test,” added Rastogi. “Our survey shows that new shopper preferences and behaviors will add more complexity to peak season operations in 2026. To manage this, along with higher order volume, retailers will need autonomous AI-native systems that can orchestrate decisions across delivery networks, adapt in real time and keep human teams focused on exceptions so they can provide the most consistent and reliable shopper experience possible.”
