Web purchases usually take at least a day to arrive, but that might not be the standard for long as e-retailers explore ways to get products to customers within hours of order time. Web merchants have long touted the ease and convenience of shopping online. With an Internet hookup, consumers can find just about everything they could want ever to buy and avoid the aggravation of crowded stores. Yet buying online does have its drawbacks for those wanting something immediately. The fastest shipment that most merchants offer is overnight delivery, and that usually comes with a hefty surcharge.
Standard delivery takes at least three days.
While these companies have the know-how to ship packages to customers nationwide from a centralized warehouse, there is a different set of logistics required to get goods to someone in a few hours time. Quick delivery involves a local fulfillment system. Companies must have warehouses in the community being served and an army of people on hand to deliver each order. Instead of creating their own system, the larger online retailers may be able to partner with the local services. All of its deliveries come within an hour.