The era of paying extra for fast shipping may be fading: survey

Consumers may value convenience, but they’re increasingly unwilling to pay extra for it.

According to ICSC’s latest Cost of Convenience survey, 90% of consumers said they’d accept slower shipping if it meant paying less, while 61% prioritized lower costs over convenience when shopping online.

Shipping costs have become a growing pain point for consumers. In fact, 70% of respondents said they’d abandoned an online purchase because of shipping costs, while 67% said return fees made them less likely to shop online.

Among the 1,000 US respondents, 57% said the biggest advantage of shopping in-store was avoiding shipping fees and delivery wait times.

Nearly two-thirds (65%) also said shipping costs, slow delivery, or inconvenient returns had caused them to stop shopping with a retailer, or at least consider doing so.

“Our research shows that shoppers are willing to make tradeoffs when the value is clear, while also placing a premium on transparency and flexibility,” Tom McGee, president and CEO of ICSC, said in a statement. “Physical stores remain an important part of that equation because they help solve many of the practical challenges consumers encounter when shopping online.”

The findings echo broader consumer sentiment we’ve seen over the past year. A 2025 global consumer holiday shipping survey by Blue Yonder found that 40% of US shoppers did not want to pay more for speedy delivery, with 53% opting for in-store pickups instead.

Tariffs, inflation, and geopolitical tensions have created the perfect storm for cash-strapped shoppers. As prices continue to rise, US consumer spending has only seen modest gains in the last few months, Bloomberg reported.