Free shipping has been the gold standard in e-commerce ever since Amazon Prime rolled this out - and grew its already massive market share.Shipping has become one of the newest battlefields for winning consumers - and it’s come at a time when logistics are already at a breaking point due to pandemic-led logjams and a shortage of drivers and warehouse workers.Amazon’s continued investment in building more warehouses and massive investment in expanding its logistics operations is a clear indication of the importance of speed in consumers’ choice of where to shop online - and even whether to shop online, since same-day deliveries are challenging the expediency of going to a store so that you can get your purchase immediately.Nearly 58 percent of Amazon Prime Same-Day users say the offering increases how much they spend on the platform, according to a Flexe Omnichannel consumer survey, pointing out that consumers are willing to spend more to qualify for a faster, more affordable delivery promise.While most consumers still prioritize avoiding shipping charges, a growing number are saying that speed matters - and that they would pay more for faster delivery.I Want It Now!Overall, 48% of consumers say they will pay more for an item if it comes with faster shipping, according to the Flexe Omnichannel survey.Consumers would like to accelerate shipping times even more with 65% revealing they would be willing to pay more for faster, more reliable deliveries, according to research from Omnitracs (USA). According to the research, 59% of consumers used one- to two-day shipping at least once a month during the pandemic. That’s set a new level of expectation, with longer waits for delivery - even without shipping charges - seeming painfully slow.“Consumers have become accustomed to the conveniences that stay-at-home orders have brought to the table,” said Dr. Ashim Bose, Chief Data and AI Officer at Omnitracs.Still, the majority of online shoppers value free shipping.Shopify’s ‘State of Ecommerce 2021’ study showed that 59% of consumers now say that free shipping is the key to a positive online shopping experience, while fast delivery comes in behind at 40%.Customer SatisfactionFast delivery also plays a role in overall customer satisfaction. While consumers will accept a longer wait in order to get free shipping, retailers that get the order delivered quickly benefit from ‘exceeding expectations’. It is a huge win for both the consumer, who is pleasantly surprised to get their order early, and for the retailer in scoring customer loyalty points.Letting customers track their packages has been proven to a popular part of Amazon’s customer experience. It raises the end-to-end purchase experience and is perceived by most consumers as a valuable service enhancement.A study by the UK’s Royal Mail found that 54% of customers expect regular updates during transit – and want this mentioned at the point of purchase.Sustainability Takes Second PlaceWhile many consumers are concerned about sustainability issues surrounding e-commerce, most see the solution as more sustainable packaging and electric delivery vehicles, rather than reducing the frequency of deliveries.Fast deliveries - with free or low cost shipping - is a hard habit to break.