Written by: Jon McDonald
Edited by: Lillian Guevara-Castro
Many of us are guilty of tracking our online purchases a little too closely once we see that shipping notification. As the holidays near, more and more attention will be on deliveries.
Our new report breaks down the states home to the most impatient shoppers and offers insights into Americans’ habits when it comes to package shipping costs and delivery dates.
America’s Most Impatient Shoppers by State
In our survey of nearly 1,000 American consumers from across the country, we found that 54% of respondents are worried about packages being delayed this holiday season. Additionally, 43% say shipping time is a dealbreaker when shopping online and 56% admit to being impatient when waiting for packages to arrive. But who is the most impatient?
An analysis of Google search data revealed that Wyoming is home to the most impatient shoppers. Following Wyoming are Vermont, Alaska, North Dakota, and Delaware. These had the most searches across the U.S. for phrases related to shipping and package tracking.
Also rounding out the top 10 are Rhode Island, South Dakota, Hawaii, Maine, and Montana.
Average American Willing to Pay Up to $12 For Express Shipping
Many concerns with shipping are not only about the delivery window but are centered around the cost of delivery. Among survey respondents, 62% said they have had a package delayed in the last six months, and 54% have noticed an increase in shipping times over the past year.
When waiting for a delivery, 44% of survey respondents admitted to checking the tracking details daily, while 15% said they check it more than once a day. More than half (54%) said they are willing to pay extra to guarantee package delivery by a specific date.
In fact, while the average American is willing to pay a maximum of $12 for express shipping, 54% said they have paid for express shipping and still received the package later than expected.
Nearly 3 in 4 respondents (72%) said they prefer to shop from online stores that guarantee same-day or next-day delivery. The biggest pet peeves when it comes to shipping include expensive shipping fees, delayed delivery, damaged packaging upon arrival, packages being delivered to the wrong address, and receiving the wrong item in the mail.
How Shipping Delays Change American Consumer Behavior
Shipping concerns are shaping Americans’ shopping habits. Nearly 1 in 4 survey respondents said they’ve bought something they didn’t love because the item had faster shipping than others, and 1 in 5 have even stopped shopping at certain businesses because they didn’t offer two-day shipping.
More than 1 in 3 (38%) procrastinate ordering items online because they assume the package will arrive within two days and 14% are willing to give up the quality of a product for faster shipping times.
When it comes to shipping companies, 1 in 3 Americans are less likely to make a purchase if their preferred carrier isn’t available at checkout. Our survey found the most preferred carriers include Amazon, UPS, FedEx, and the United States Postal Service.
Shipping concerns are reshaping online shopping behavior across the country whether it’s paying extra for faster delivery to prioritizing retailers with same-day shipping. With the holidays approaching, watching shipping times and adjusting your orders accordingly to help avoid delays is important.
“It’s incredible how fast consumers have become accustomed to almost instantaneous deliveries. It wasn’t so long ago that the standard wait time was a week or longer,” said Erica Sandberg, Consumer Finance Expert with BadCredit.org. “Still, it’s frustrating when you think something will be appearing on your doorstep on a certain day, but then it doesn’t.
Sandberg continued: “Thankfully, the remedy is within your control. Order early. If you are like the 38% of survey respondents who are procrastinating because you expect a package to be delivered within a day or two, change your habits. Shop and order at least a week before you want the item to arrive. If it gets to you before that date, great!”
Methodology
In September 2024, we surveyed 995 Americans to ask about their online shopping and shipping habits. Among respondents, 50% were men, 49% were women, and 1% were non-binary or preferred not to answer. Respondents ranged in age from 18 to 81, with an average age of 40.
To determine the most impatient shoppers, we analyzed 325 Google search terms related to package tracking and shipping concerns. We looked at search volume averages per 100,000 over the past 12 months in every state.
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