New research shows retailers are prioritising customer satisfaction for 2026 as they look to solve final mile delivery problems. Data from Advanced Supply Chain, which works with retailers on midstream and upstream parts of supply chains, found that improving customer service has become the top priority for supply chain professionals as they look to support sales recovery.
This comes as more than two-thirds of UK consumers have experienced a recent problem with a parcel delivery, according to Ofcom, adding further pressure on retailers already facing weak sales and cautious consumer spending. The performance of transport and delivery are becoming a hotspot for keeping shoppers happy and repeat purchasing, with retailers and brands looking for ways to boost the speed, timeliness, reliability and the sustainability of getting parcels to shoppers. A quarter (26 per cent) of supply chain professionals rank transport and delivery services as the most critical to their growth in 2026.
Stuart Greenfield, UK and European Sales Director at Advanced Supply Chain said: “Retailers and brands are focusing on optimising the back-end of supply chains to improve speed to market and create a solid footing for fixing final mile delivery problems.”
With parcel delays, missed deliveries and lost items increasingly common, restoring consumer confidence is important for driving repeat purchases for retailers.
Stuart added: “Parcel delivery issues can be localised and caused by driver scheduling and workloads, as well as competence levels, but also impacted by errors and inefficiencies in warehousing, leading to backlogs and negatively impacting the flow of customer orders throughout supply chains. Getting warehouses running like clockwork can help parcels to move on time.”
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