New data reveals 90% of global retailers plan to increase AI investments to help transform shipping and delivery, with North American businesses leading the strategic pivot
ShipStation, a leading intelligent shipping and logistics platform, released its Ecommerce Delivery Benchmark Report 2026, developed in partnership with Retail Economics. The report surveyed more than 8,000 consumers and 400 retailers to understand the transformative role of AI in ecommerce industry. Driven by changing consumer expectations and higher sales expectations in 2026, the research found that 90% of global retailers plan to increase their AI investments over the next 12 to 24 months to optimize their operations.
While AI interest grows globally, North American merchants are leading the transition toward implementing intelligent solutions. The report found that 61% of retailers in the region are actively growing their AI usage and exploring new applications, with 28% stating they have already embedded and scaled AI across several functions (compared to 50% and 17% respectively across Europe).
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The urgency to integrate AI into retailer operations stems from a widening gap between consumer expectations and merchants’ current delivery capabilities. In North America, 59% of consumers expect two-day delivery, yet only 40% of retailers offer this timeframe as a standard, demonstrating an opportunity to improve delivery performance. Price sensitivity also remains a factor. The report found that $5 to $9 is the optimal price range shoppers are willing to pay for premium delivery services. However, only 42% of U.S. retailers provide shipping services within this optimal range.
When asked what the biggest opportunities are for AI to transform ecommerce and delivery over the next two years, North American retailers focused on improving:
- Delivery Execution: 44% cited AI has the greatest potential to improve speed, tracking accuracy, and proactive communication.
- Predictive Fulfillment: 39% highlighted predictive logistics and fulfillment optimization as the area for the biggest improvement with AI.
- Reverse Logistics: 26% are targeting returns and reverse logistics as a key area for AI-driven efficiency.
“With so many businesses scaling their AI use, it’s clear that AI is no longer a futuristic concept—it’s a necessity for shippers looking to compete effectively and meet evolving consumer demands,” said Kelly Vincent, Chief Product Officer at Auctane, ShipStation’s parent company.
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Despite growth opportunities, implementing AI tools at a competitive pace will be challenging for merchants this year. North American retailers reported that adopting AI and emerging tech (33%), fulfillment costs (29%), and managing inventory across multiple channels (26%) are the biggest hurdles they’ll face this year.
AI adoption also varies significantly based on business size. The report found that small retailers (under $125m annual turnover) globally face the steepest climb, with 53% citing the high costs of AI development as a struggle, and 35% finding it difficult to integrate new agents with legacy systems. In contrast, 47% of global large retailers ($625m+ annual turnover) are more likely to struggle with a lack of skilled expertise and resources, and 53% report customer resistance and a lack of trust as challenges to AI adoption.
“We’re here to help any size of business, small to large enterprise businesses, achieve growth, and that includes helping them understand how to use AI to their advantage,” continued Vincent. “We hope to clear a path for merchants to integrate AI and transform their fulfillment into a competitive advantage.”