Nearly nine in 10 online shoppers are happy to wait more than three days for parcels to arrive if they can get the goods at a cheaper price and nearly two-thirds will wait a week.

According to a new survey conducted by ecommerce marketing automation platform Omnisend across 1000 Australian consumers, 64.6% of respondents are willing to wait more than a week for their parcel to arrive if it means securing a lower price for the item. The survey also revealed 87% of people are willing to wait more than three days for their parcel to arrive if it means getting the item for a cheaper price. Furthermore, 40% of respondents can wait nine days and more for their parcel to arrive.

These shipping preference findings are noteworthy considering the average parcel shipping time in Australia is 2-3 business days.

The results also align with a study by Shippom, which found that 75% of online shoppers prioritise free over fast shipping. Omnisend's multi-country survey was conducted by Cint in August 2024, with a total of 4,000 respondents across the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

"Many consumers expect delays during such high-demand periods as BFCM, so offering longer shipping times, paired with substantial discounts, can feel more authentic. Shoppers are conditioned to associate BFCM with great deals, not necessarily fast deliveries, and rushing to promise next-day shipping might diminish the perceived value of those discounts," said Greg Zakowicz, senior ecommerce expert at Omnisend.

Zakowicz also pointed out brands that overly emphasise next-day shipping may be missing an opportunity to attract discount-driven shoppers.

"As consumers become more price-sensitive, the huge popularity of companies like Temu and Shein shows that many are willing to wait longer for deliveries if it means significant savings," he said.

Zakowicz suggested that for most shoppers, affordability now takes precedence over speed.

"Especially during the BFCM season, brands prioritising fast delivery risk missing out on the growing demand for lower prices," he concluded.

Omnisend, an email & SMS marketing platform with a suite of features specifically designed to help ecommerce stores grow their online businesses faster, also provided tips for retailers for Black Friday and Cyber Monday shipping strategy. These included prioritising transparent comunications and being upfront about delivery times; offering tiered shipping options; using shipping times as a sales tool; and monitoring and adjusting against cart abandonment.