Last mile delivery trends are shifting in a big way. Not the incremental kind where things get slightly better each year, but a fundamental change away from what's driven the industry for the past decade.
In SupplyChainBrain's 2026 Annual Resource Guide, Helaine Rich, Vice President of Strategic Sales & Administration at ePost Global, breaks down what's actually happening and why speed alone isn't cutting it anymore.
"What was once a cost center has now become the defining moment of the e-commerce experience," Rich writes.
The shift from fastest-possible to right-speed delivery
Here's one of the biggest last mile delivery trends: retailers are backing away from the speed race.
Rich puts it plainly: "A growing cost and reliability challenge is forcing retailers to abandon their singular focus on velocity. Today's landscape demands retailers balance speed with delivery precision, because meeting commitments outweighs breaking speed records."
According to McKinsey research, delivery speed has fallen in priority, while consumers increasingly prioritize on-time delivery and cost over pure speed, with most now willing to wait 2–3 days if delivery is free and arrives within the promised window.
Why last mile delivery issues are eating into margins
At most leading brands, more than 10% of customer service requests are about delivery problems. That's driving up costs and killing customer lifetime value.
Meanwhile, EMarketer says 72% of direct-to-consumer customers still list speed as their top priority when deciding where to buy.
"Smart retailers understand that delivery experiences drive loyalty more effectively than pure speed," Rich notes.
It's a tension every retailer is dealing with: customers say they want speed, but what actually makes them happy is reliability.
Multi-carrier networks are a key last mile logistics trend
One clear trend in last-mile delivery: ditching single-carrier dependence for multi-carrier strategies.
Single carriers create blind spots
"Traditional single-carrier methods create operational blind spots and risk exposure," Rich explains. You're stuck with whatever capacity they have during peak season, and you have no negotiating leverage.
The performance gap in last mile shipping is real
Multi-carrier networks consistently beat single-carrier systems:
- 37% faster delivery to France
- 24% faster delivery to Germany
"If one carrier experiences operational difficulties, a multi-carrier platform will automatically divert volume to other carriers with no customer-facing delays," Rich says.
Different carriers perform better in different regions. A multi-carrier approach lets you use whoever's strongest in each market.
Technology driving last mile delivery trends
Route optimization, predictive analytics, and AI-driven tracking are changing how last mile operations work.
The useful stuff:
- Automated carrier selection based on performance data and where packages are going
- Real-time tracking that catches potential delays before customers notice
- Proactive notifications so customers know what's happening
"Real-time tracking flags potential delays before they impact customers, affording teams the opportunity to proactively notify recipients and maintain trust," Rich writes.
For retailers managing international shipping, these tools are becoming essential just to stay competitive.
What it takes to make the final mile delivery transition
Rich is clear about what's required:
- Technology investments to integrate multi-carrier platforms
- Understanding dynamic routing and carrier performance
- Planning capacity for peak periods
- Building strong carrier relationships
Peak periods test whether your network can actually handle volume shifts. You need the planning and relationships in place before you need them.
Last mile delivery trends for 2026
Rich's take on where things are headed: differentiation comes from execution, not just being fast.
"By 2026, leaders in logistics will be those that balance innovation with relentless customer-experience focus," she writes. "Investment in automation, data-driven routing and multi-carrier networks separates a forward-thinking company from those that treat delivery as transactional logistics."
The big shift she sees: reliability and sustainability are replacing speed-at-all-costs as what consumers actually prefer.
The last mile is evolving from cost center to competitive advantage, but only for brands that can nail both speed and precision.
Read the full article
For Rich's complete breakdown of last-mile delivery trends, the full performance data, and her strategic recommendations for 2026, read the full SupplyChainBrain article.
