New Locus Survey Finds Shifting Shopper Preferences Are Creating New Retail Logistics Pressures

Survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers finds speed still matters, but reliability, flexibility, AI shopping and returns are bringing new challenges to retail logistics

MILPITAS, Calif., June 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Locus, a leading AI-native logistics technology company, today released new findings from a survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers examining how online shopping habits are changing delivery, reverse logistics and overall customer expectations. The survey found that retail logistics is under growing pressure as shoppers place greater value on flexible delivery options, reliable fulfillment, convenient returns and fast refunds, while AI shopping tools begin to reshape how they discover and buy products.

Key Findings:

• When choosing where to shop online, 34% of consumers still value fast delivery above all else, but 20% now say reliable, predictable delivery is their top priority
• 45% of consumers are now using AI as either a primary or secondary online shopping tool; among that group, 39% say they're more likely to try new brands or products, while 37% are more likely to purchase more items when using it
• If provided a better overall or more environmentally friendly shopping experience, 58% of consumers are willing to consolidate deliveries into fewer packages, 40% would accept slower delivery times and 22% are willing to pick up orders from a store or locker instead of home delivery
• The returns experience plays a significant role in customer loyalty, with 68% of shoppers saying a fast refund makes them more likely to shop with a specific retailer again, and 54% saying they prefer to return items in-store
• Gen Z is more accepting of return fees, with 45% now willing to pay between $1 and $10, while 85% of Baby Boomers still expect free returns

Shoppers Are Raising the Bar for Retail Logistics
Shoppers still care about delivery speed, but speed alone isn't enough anymore. The survey shows consumers are now paying much closer attention to the full delivery and returns experience, including whether orders arrive when expected, how easy it is to return an item and how quickly they get their money back.

AI shopping tools are also changing how people shop online. Some are using AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude to find new brands, compare more products and purchase more items at once. For retailers, that creates new opportunities, but it can also make demand harder to forecast and put more pressure on fulfillment teams.

"Retailers can't plan around one version of the online shopper anymore," said Nishith Rastogi, founder and CETO at Locus. "The challenge is not just that shoppers want more options. It's that those expectations are changing across the entire purchase journey, from discovery to delivery to returns. While retailers need logistics operations that are flexible enough to adapt to different situations, they need to remain disciplined enough to protect cost, capacity and the promises they make to shoppers."

How Will These Shifting Shopper Expectations Impact Peak Season 2026?
Early forecasts suggest retailers are heading into another busy holiday season. Overall, U.S. holiday retail sales are projected to grow 2.6% this year, while e-commerce is expected to grow 6.6%. This follows a record 2025 season in which U.S. consumers spent $257.8 billion online from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31.

"Another e-commerce-driven holiday season will put retailers to the test," added Nishith. "Our survey shows that new shopper preferences and behaviors will add more complexity to peak season operations in 2026. To manage this, along with higher order volume, retailers will need autonomous AI-native systems that can orchestrate decisions across delivery networks, adapt in real time and keep human teams focused on exceptions so they can provide the most consistent and reliable shopper experience possible."

To access the full findings and learn more about Locus, visit https://locus.sh/blogs/generative-ai-shopping-effect-retail-fulfillment-operations-locus-q2-2026-consumer-survey/
And locus.sh .

Survey Summary:

• Locus released new survey findings from 1,000 U.S. consumers examining how people are shopping online, what they expect from delivery and returns, and how those habits are affecting retail logistics operations.
• Speed is still the leading factor when shoppers choose where to buy online, but reliability is gaining ground, with 20% of consumers now ranking reliable, predictable delivery as their top priority.
• AI shopping tools are already part of the buying journey for many consumers, with 45% using them as either a primary or secondary online shopping tool.
• Shoppers are open to delivery tradeoffs when there's a clear benefit: 58% would consolidate deliveries into fewer packages, 40% would accept slower delivery times and 22% would use store or locker pickup instead of home delivery.
• Returns are no longer just a post-purchase cost issue, as 68% of shoppers say a fast refund makes them more likely to shop with a retailer again and 54% prefer in-store drop-offs.

About Locus
Locus, part of Ingka Group, is an agentic Transportation Management System (TMS) for all-mile, all-channel with 350+ enterprise customer deployments in 30+ countries across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. The platform unifies orders, capacity and carrier networks into one living plan, aligning planning, execution and settlement, solving for real-world logistics constraints and complexities for large enterprises. Locus has optimized 1.5B + deliveries, helped achieve $320M+ in logistics cost savings and avoided 17M+ kg of emissions for its customers. Learn more at locus.sh.

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SOURCE Locus