Nearly 90% of global retailers plan to increase their AI investments over the next 12-24 months to optimize their operations, according to ShipStation’s Ecommerce Delivery Benchmark Report 2026, developed in partnership with Retail Economics.
“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,” says Kelly Vincent, chief product officer at Auctane, ShipStation’s parent company.
Key takeaways:
· 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).
· 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 $5-9 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 e-commerce and delivery over the next two years, North American retailers focused on improving delivery execution; predictive fulfillment; and reverse logistics.
● 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 $125 million 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 ($625 million-plus 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.
