Delivery time

What delivery time covers

Delivery time describes how long a customer waits from the order to receiving the goods. It is made up of several parts: the time until dispatch, the transport time and a buffer for customs, holidays and weekends. If stock availability is not checked, the time for reordering from the supplier comes on top. Anyone deriving the figure from transport time alone promises more than they can keep.

What belongs legally

Delivery time has to be stated before the order is placed, and concretely. A phrase such as within a few days is not enough, because it contains no verifiable statement. A concrete number of working days or a named date are permitted. If the period is missed, the customer may set a deadline and then withdraw from the contract. If the statement is missing entirely, the period starts with the order and not with receipt of the goods, which is unfavourable for the retailer.

Why blanket figures are risky

Stating a short period for the whole assortment raises the likelihood of purchase and the number of complaints. An item that has to be ordered from the supplier takes longer than one from your own stock, yet both carry the same promise. Cancellations, service enquiries and reviews naming the long wait follow. Stating them separately helps: a short period for available goods, a longer one for reorders, and a visible note when an item is currently unavailable.

How strongly it influences the decision

• Visible before the decision: delivery time belongs on the product page and in the list view, not only in the checkout.
• Choosing between similar offers: at the same price, delivery time decides more often than the brand.
• Expectation at the order: anyone who made a concrete promise is measured against it, even when the carrier is responsible.
• Effect on returns: if goods arrive notably later they are returned more often, because they are no longer needed.

How the statement stays reliable

Three measures usually suffice. First, connect stock information with the shipping process so the period matches availability. Second, measure the periods regularly: how long shipping actually takes, not how long it should. Third, account for holidays and vacation periods in the calculation, because a significant share of complaints comes from a promise across a long weekend. Where your own performance is uncertain, an honest longer statement beats a tight one that does not hold.

Frequent questions

• Working days or calendar days? Working days are common but have to be named as such. Calendar days are friendlier to customers and rarer.
• Do I have to inform about delays? Yes, with a foreseeable delay the customer should be told before they have to ask.
• Does it apply to bulky goods? No, those need their own statement because transport and delivery work differently.