The fastest types of shipping and delivery services available for businesses are same day delivery and next day delivery. You may find yourself asking, which one is right for your business? Let’s break down each type of delivery, their benefits, and examples of businesses thriving with each service.

What is Same Day Delivery?

Same day shipping and delivery are interchangeable terms meaning your order or package is shipped and delivered to your customer on the same day. This service is typically offered by companies with a local presence or large retailers with nearby fulfillment centers. While it is the most expensive option, same day delivery offers significant benefits for your business.

Benefits of Same Day Delivery for Your Business

There are a number of benefits for businesses that may want to offer same day delivery. Here are a few of them:

• Increased Sales – Many studies and surveys have shown that same day delivery can lead to increased sales as customers know that they will receive their item quickly. One study showed that 68% of shoppers are likely to shop online if offered the option of same day delivery, while 81% of consumers expect retailers to offer same day delivery. (CapitalOne)
• Increased Customer Satisfaction – We live in an age where customers want their product as soon as possible, and therefore consumers are more satisfied when they can receive their product the same day. According to one recent survey 80% of industry leaders reported higher customer satisfaction levels when their product was delivered same day. (Roadie)
• Increases Customer Retention and Loyalty – By offering same day delivery you can build trust and credibility with your customers. By delivering a consistently fast shipping shopping experience customers are more likely to return for future purchases. This can also increase a businesses’ reputation and lead to word of mouth recommendations. All of this leads to higher customer retention and loyalty.
• Competitive Advantage – Offering same day delivery for your customers can give your business a competitive advantage. Studies have shown that offering same day delivery as an option increases your competitive edge by 85% when compared to those who do not offer same day delivery. If you have a product that a client needs but is more expensive then customers are more likely to purchase from you as opposed to a competitor that does not offer a same day delivery option. (itsre.org)
• Increased Revenue – Studies have shown that time and time again customers are willing to pay a premium for same day delivery which results in higher revenue per order, nearly 86% of companies reported increase in revenue per order that offer same day delivery.

The benefits of offering same day delivery for your business are obvious. There are many businesses who are either offering or going to start to offer same day delivery because consumers are not only more likely to purchase your product and purchase more of it, but they are also expecting a same day delivery option to be offered. There are a variety of use cases for same day delivery and companies who have succeeded in leveraging this option to further their reach and expand their business.

Use Cases For Same Day Delivery

There are many situations where your business would benefit from offering same day delivery. Here are a few useful examples:

You have a client that needs something immediately delivered. This can include a variety of industries and use cases including:

• Delivering a product that is fragile or is a prototype
• Manufacturer Part Delivery – When a plant or manufacturing facility goes down due to a broken part and this slows down or stops your whole plant from making your product.
• Food and Grocery Delivery
• Impulse Purchases – Helps foster impulse purchases because clients can get their purchase right away
• Health & Pharmaceutical Industry – Critical situations where patients need their pharmaceutical product or treatment to save their lives
• Medical Equipment Deliveries – Clinics, hospitals and medical offices can not function without medical equipment that may be bulky but needs to arrive in time for a treatment or surgery
• Legal Filings or Notices – Important documents such as closing documents for real estate deals, filings at court houses, sealed bids or contracts that need to be delivered to parties the same day
• E-Commerce – online retailers need their clients to have their product shipped and delivered the same day

Businesses Who Succeed with Same Day Delivery

Each year there are more and more businesses who have started offering same day delivery to their clients. They have realized that the benefits of offering this service can grow their business and client base and far exceeds their costs to starting this service. For larger businesses, it’s important to work with a national courier who can deliver their products to their clients in the quickest way possible. Here are some of the larger businesses that offer same day delivery:

• Amazon – Amazon now offers same day delivery to prime members in over 1,000 cities and towns in the US, and they plan to expand to more than 2300 areas by the end of 2025.
• Walmart – Walmart currently offers same day delivery to most of the US, reaching over 93% of households as of early 2025.
• Target – Target now offers same day delivery to most of their clients, and they can get that by becoming a Target Circle 360 member or pay $9.99 per delivery at check out.
• Home Depot – Home Depot now offers same day delivery through their website for thousands of smaller top selling items.
• CVS – CVS offers same day delivery to a majority of its US locations. You can check for same day delivery by using their CVS app or checking their website.
• Walgreens – Walgreens offers same day delivery to most areas across the United States where they have a location in.

Challenges for Offering Same Day Delivery and Shipping for Businesses

While same day delivery seems like a service that every business should offer, there are a variety of challenges that businesses can face to implement same day logistics into their operations. These include:

• High Costs – Implementing same day delivery usually requires significant investment into their existing infrastructure. Things such as local fulfillment centers, higher labor and fuel costs. This can put a strain on profit margins for smaller businesses.
• Logistics Complexity – Businesses need to keep real time tracking of their inventory, they would also need efficient routing and fast dispatching in order to achieve their delivery deadlines
• Limited Geographic Reach – Limited number of clients in areas usually make this option only cost effective in high density urban areas, less customers in an area means less sales and makes it cost prohibitive to offer same day delivery in smaller geographic areas.
• Technology Dependent – Not every business has the software and technology to track, manage, and coordinate same day delivery schedules

Implementing same day delivery services to offer to your clients may seem like a daunting task if you are a small or medium sized business. Even large businesses can struggle at implementing same day delivery due to high costs, technology, and logistics complexity. Fortunately, you can outsource your same day delivery needs to an experienced courier service provider such as Reliable Couriers. An experienced courier service already has all of the technology, delivery drivers, and infrastructure in place to allow your business to offer same day delivery services at a fraction of the cost of restructuring your business model to accommodate this service. Contact us today to discuss your same day delivery needs and to get a quote.

What is Next Day Delivery?

Next Day Delivery is a type of delivery where the item or product is delivered the day after it is ordered. This type of delivery is still used for time sensitive deliveries, but is usually not as critical as same day delivery, and is generally a more cost effective option. It still offers benefits for a variety of businesses and may be right for you.

Benefits of Next Day Delivery for Businesses

Next day delivery is one of the most commonly used shipping services for businesses. Although not as quick as same day delivery it does offer many benefits such as:

• Cost Effective – Next day delivery on average is cheaper than same day delivery, with same day delivery being 2-4 times more expensive than next day delivery. This is because it can be same day delivery requires more expensive priority logistics, more drivers and tighter routing to meet the strict delivery window. (outvio)
• Increased Customer Satisfaction – Multiple studies have shown that faster delivery times positively influence customer satisfaction. This includes next day delivery as it is a faster delivery option than standard shipping.
• Increased Sales – Multiple studies have shown that faster shipping options including next day delivery have increased purchase intentions and led to more sales. A recent study revealed that almost half of respondents actually abandoned their online shopping cart due to longer shipping times. (ScienceDirect)

Business Use Cases for Next Day Delivery

There are a few businesses that have built their whole business model on providing next day delivery for their clients. This includes eCommerce, food & beverage companies, medical and health companies, and business to business companies:

• eCommerce – Many large and small eCommerce businesses have built their business model on utilizing next day delivery services. This allows clients to get their items quickly, and spans everything from clothing to gifts to electronics.
• Food and Beverage – Many food and beverage companies need to use a faster shipping option such as next day delivery because they serve perishable products such as dairy, seafood, or meal kits that have a short life span. If these are delivered slower than next day then they can spoil and have to be disposed of.
• Medical & Health Companies – Time sensitive medications or treatments that may also have a short lifespan benefit from next day delivery. Just as with pet food and supplies or other health related items, these items can spoil or will not be as effective if they arrive late.
• Business to Business – Businesses that provide critical supplies such as office supplies, wholesale goods, art supplies or any other support business requires that other businesses get their products quickly in order to continue operating. Without these products the business can not operate and they prefer a quicker time window to get their supplies.

Businesses that Succeed using Next Day Delivery

In addition to major eCommerce companies like Amazon and Walmart, many other businesses utilize next day delivery successfully. Customers usually expect to receive their purchases quickly and this can include many brick and mortar stores that have started to offer their products for same day delivery. Here are examples of businesses that use next day delivery to boost revenue and sales:

• Department stores and clothing retailers that offer next day delivery on in stock items such as Nordstrom
• Electronics retailers that offer next day delivery on electronics and accessories such as Best Buy
• Furniture stores also offer next day delivery such as IKEA
• Home Improvement big box retailers such as Lowes

Nowadays almost all retailers and businesses offer next day delivery to their clients. Customers usually have an instant gratification that businesses try to meet and one of the ways to do that is by offering next day delivery to their customers. Next day delivery may seem like a daunting task but there is always the option of outsourcing your shipments to a third party logistics team.

Same Day Delivery vs Next Day Delivery

Knowing the differences between same day delivery and next day delivery should allow you to choose which shipping option is a better fit for your business. There are a few questions to ask before deciding which option is best for you, such as:

• Do your clients want or expect fast shipping? An easy way to find this out would be to survey your current clients to see if same day is a priority or if they prefer other options. Find out if there is a genuine need for same day delivery for your products.
• What is your product? – What are the dimensions and weight of your product and is it feasible to offer same day or next delivery?
• What is your delivery area? – Obviously local is best, but if you want to expand your customer reach you should decide on which areas would work to expand first.
• Is your fulfillment process efficient? – Your process must be streamlined for order fulfillment, packaging, picking up and dropping off your product in order to meet fast turnaround times.
• How much can you afford to spend on shipping? Is fast shipping within your budget to offer it to your clients?

Answering all of these questions beforehand will help you understand your shipping needs and if you should offer same day delivery or next day delivery to your clients. If you decide that you want to offer same day delivery services for your products, contact Reliable Couriers today to find out the benefits and cost savings that we provide for same day deliveries.