Following recent delivery and parcel disruptions affecting consumers up and down the UK, research shows the average e-tail order delivery time is now 4.5 days, or 107 hours, according to post-purchase firm Shipup.
Bristol emerged as the city experiencing the slowest order delivery times, averaging 117 hours, or roughly 4.9 days. This pace is significantly slower, almost an entire day, compared to cities at the opposite end of the spectrum. London ranked second slowest at 4.6 days, suggesting that deliveries tend to take longer the further south you go.
On the other end of the scale, Glasgow set the standard for efficiency, claiming the speediest delivery times — one day quicker than Bristol and 10 hours faster than the national average (107 hours). Notably, Glasgow maintained this leading position in five out of the 13 months examined and was half a day quicker on average than Edinburgh.
The report also revealed the extreme cases of delivery times. The city of Liverpool faced the longest delivery time last December, with one order taking 216 hours, or nine days to arrive.
“These instances show the fluctuating pressures on carrier services, especially evident during the transition from summer to peak season”, the report said.
Meanwhile, the last week of September 2023, marking the onset of peak season, witnessed the longest order delivery time for all UK cities, averaging six days, or 144 hours. What’s more, Glasgow was the city with the quickest delivery time in September, clocking an average of 106 hours. This is only one hour quicker than the annual average, “demonstrating the pressure on retailers and carriers during this period”.
