Along with things like great customer service and solid prices, offering good delivery is one of the best things a company can do to help satisfy and retain customers. While fast shipping often gets a lot of attention, retail executives from the likes of Macy’s and Ulta are saying that it’s actually delivery reliability that plays a bigger role.

Delivery Reliability May Be More Crucial Than Speed

In a panel that took place at Home Delivery World 2026, retail execs from companies like Macy’s, Ulta Beauty, and other companies say that it’s not delivery speed, but delivery reliability, that’s most important for companies to focus on in order to grow their customer base.

This may surprise some people, as delivery speed is often touted as the most crucial part of delivery, especially as companies like Amazon make efforts to speed up deliveries. While it’s still important, not every order needs to be delivered at such a rapid pace.

While customers certainly need speed when ordering essentials, last-minute gifts, and some kind of food, many can wait for other things like furniture, games, clothing, and other non-essentials.

Customers Desire Predictable Deliveries

Perhaps the biggest reason why reliable delivery is so important is because of how much customers want it. In fact, reliable shipping is one of the most important elements in online shopping for consumers, and 62% of consumers say that an accurate estimated delivery date is more important than fast shipping.

Mike Bogovich, the Vice President of Distribution for Ulta Beauty, added more evidence of this when he said that beauty customers especially care about the quality and reliability of delivery. He also mentioned that shopper satisfaction is better when the shipping experience is more predictable.

Also, the Director of Supply Chain Sourcing and Procurement for Macy’s, Vinny Pagliuca, said that “If we tell you we’re going to get something to you in three days, and every time we deliver in three days, you’re going to keep coming back, right?” He also added that when a company isn’t reliable is when they may lose customers.

Other Reasons That Predictability and Reliability Outclass Speed

In addition to customer preferences, there are other reasons why reliability may be a more important aspect of deliveries than speed. First, taking time with deliveries and ensuring they’re reliable is good for limiting operational bottlenecks.

For example, when companies prioritize delivery speed over all else, it may lead to errors like misplaced packages, orders being packaged incorrectly, or items being damaged.

Also, incredibly fast shipping promises create impatience in many customers. If there’s even a slight delay, many customers will be unhappy. For example, someone who gets their package in two days when it should’ve come in one is likely to be more unhappy than someone who got it in three days when it was scheduled to come in three, due to the difference in expectations.

Reliable and predictable deliveries are also often more affordable for companies and consumers, and make it easier for businesses to optimize staffing and inventory.

Our Take

Offering Both Reliability and Speed

While these execs praise the importance of reliability, it’s also worth continuing to focus on speed to some extent. Sure, predictable and reliable deliveries help boost things like consumer trust and loyalty, but improving speed still provides solid conversions and may be the deciding factor for customers who want items immediately.

You don’t want to focus too much attention on one, only to neglect the other. If your brand can offer fast deliveries that are also reliable to an extent, it can give you a leg up on competitors that only offer one or the other.

While it may not be easy, there are some ways to improve both the reliability and speed of your deliveries, such as having a distributed fulfillment network, using software to automate and streamline operations, and dynamically optimizing routes in real-time to account for traffic, weather, and more.