How to handle Shipping Delays: A Guide for Shopify Store Owners

Shipping delays have become a common issue across the world. From online shoppers to store owners to suppliers, everyone is affected when a package does not arrive on time. Many of these delays happen because of major events such as global conflicts, severe weather conditions, pandemics, and new shipping rules. Even when the major crisis ends, the effects on shipping can continue for several years.

A recent consumer survey revealed that 70% of shoppers faced at least one shipping delay in the past six months. For businesses, these delays are extremely costly. When a high-demand product does not arrive on time, retailers lose sales and sometimes even lose loyal customers. In fact, 40% of customers say that a single bad shipping experience is enough to stop them from purchasing from the same brand again.

Because of this, retailers must understand why shipping delays happen and what they can do to reduce the impact. This article breaks down the main causes of these delays and explains practical strategies to manage them.

Understanding the Causes of Shipping Delays

Shipping delays can occur due to several reasons. Some of them are manageable, while others are completely outside a retailer’s control. The most common causes are described below in a simple and understandable way.

1. Lack of Workers in the Supply Chain

Many delivery companies, warehouses, and production units around the world are experiencing labor shortages. When there are not enough workers to load, pack, transport, or deliver products, the movement of goods slows down.

During my experience managing e-commerce operations for a company that delivered products worldwide, labor shortages became one of the biggest causes of shipping delays. We had a limited number of warehouse staff throughout the year, and the situation became challenging during major holiday sales when order volume increased rapidly. To keep up, we hired temporary workers, but the lack of training and operational familiarity led to several avoidable mistakes such as incorrect order packing, missing items inside shipments, and duplicate packages being sent accidentally. These errors not only slowed down the fulfillment process but also triggered a high volume of customer support requests. As a result, our team had to spend significant time resolving issues that could have been prevented with proper staffing and training. This experience clearly demonstrated how important a well-trained and adequately staffed workforce is for maintaining smooth and timely deliveries.

A 2024 report showed that:

• 37% of companies are facing severe labor shortages.

• Nearly two-thirds are dealing with transportation delays due to insufficient staff.

• 58% believe these labor gaps have hurt their customer service quality.

  
  

This means packages may take longer to be processed and delivered, even if everything else is working smoothly.

2. Increased Orders During Holiday Seasons

Holiday periods are the busiest times for shipping. Events such as Black Friday, Christmas, New Year, and local festivals cause a massive jump in orders. Fulfillment centers and delivery companies may not have the capacity to handle the sudden load, leading to slower deliveries.

In my role with a global e-commerce brand, holiday seasons—especially Black Friday and Cyber Monday—consistently presented major fulfillment challenges. We prepared well in advance by ensuring that every warehouse had enough inventory to handle the increase in demand. However, despite our internal readiness, delays still occurred. A significant issue arose from relying on third-party logistics (3PL) partners. These warehouses were responsible for shipping products for multiple brands at the same time. When peak season arrived, the sheer volume of orders from all their clients placed enormous pressure on their operations. As a result, fulfillment became extremely slow, and in some cases, it took up to two months before shipping timelines fully returned to normal. During these periods of uncertainty, we often had no clear visibility into when packages would be dispatched. This made responding to customer inquiries very challenging. Providing vague or uncertain answers about delivery timelines naturally increased disappointment and frustration among buyers. This experience highlighted the critical importance of strong logistics communication and contingency planning during holiday surges.

Holidays in other parts of the world also affect shipments. For example, if a retailer’s supplier operates in a country where major holidays shut down production for weeks, every order depending on that supplier could be delayed. To reduce these issues, many retailers announce order cutoff dates to help customers receive their products on time.

3. Disruptions Due to Extreme Weather

Weather plays a major role in the transportation of goods. Heavy storms, hurricanes, floods, and snow can block roads, cancel flights, and close shipping ports. Natural disasters can also damage infrastructure and delay shipments for long periods.

Weather-related disruptions were another frequent challenge in my e-commerce operations experience. Our shipping network covered multiple regions, including Canada and the United States, where weather conditions can become severe very quickly. Heavy snowfall in Canada often halted transportation and slowed down warehouse operations, while tornadoes and other extreme weather events in several parts of the U.S. delayed both ground and air shipments. These conditions were completely outside our control, yet they directly affected delivery timelines. Even when orders were packed and ready to ship, carriers could not move packages until it became safe to resume operations. This naturally led to delayed arrivals and increased confusion among customers who were expecting their orders within a specific timeframe. Our support team often had to explain these unavoidable delays, emphasizing safety while trying to maintain customer trust. This experience reinforced how important it is to have flexible logistics planning and clear communication processes during weather emergencies.

Surprisingly, only about one-fourth of businesses feel confident in their ability to handle the impact of extreme weather on their shipping operations. This shows that weather remains a major risk in logistics.

4. Supply Chain Instability

Worldwide supply chains have become more complicated over the years. Many companies depend on parts and products coming from different countries. Any disturbance in the global system can slow down deliveries.

According to the Future of Commerce report:

• 39% of brands expect shipping delays and higher transportation costs to remain a major challenge in the coming year.

  
  

Some recent global events that have disrupted supply chains include:

• The COVID-19 pandemic, which limited shipping capacity and caused unexpected emergency shipments.

• Conflicts in areas like Ukraine, the South China Sea, and Gaza, which have interrupted shipping routes.

• Cybersecurity threats affecting manufacturing systems.

• Low water levels in the Panama Canal, forcing ships to reroute and delay cargo.

  
  

Supply chain instability can appear suddenly and affect operations long after the main issue has ended. A clear example from my experience occurred during the 2024 holiday season when Canada Post workers went on strike. The strike lasted for more than two months, creating a severe backlog across the entire Canadian logistics network. Our business experienced significant challenges during this time. All orders shipping within Canada were delayed indefinitely. Even after the strike officially ended, it took an additional two months for the system to return to normal capacity. The uncertainty around when orders would move made communication with Canadian customers extremely difficult. We tried to overcome the delays by shipping some Canadian orders from U.S. warehouses instead. However, this led to another serious problem. Import duties for cross-border shipments were extremely high. For a product worth around $150 CAD, we were paying nearly $100 to $120 CAD in customs fees. This affected about 70% of our orders during that period, resulting in major financial losses. This experience highlighted how vulnerable businesses are to sudden disruptions in postal and freight services, especially when the issue occurs during the busiest sales season of the year. It also emphasized the importance of having diversified shipping options and advanced cost-risk planning for international operations.

These disruptions do not only affect one region. Their impact spreads across many industries and countries.

5. Lost or Damaged Packages

Mistakes while handling packages can occur at any point in the delivery journey. Items can be misplaced, damaged, or even stolen. In the United States alone, around 44% of customers have experienced parcel theft. When a package is lost or damaged, it must be replaced or investigated, which causes further delay and dissatisfaction.

6. Transportation and Route Challenges

Transportation difficulties may occur due to rising fuel prices, mechanical failures in delivery vehicles, sudden changes in shipping lanes, or geopolitical tensions affecting border access. These issues are usually unpredictable and can add extra time to the final delivery.

7. Errors in Shipping Information

Human error is another very common reason for delivery delays. Incorrect addresses, missing apartment numbers, wrong postal codes, or unclear shipping labels can make it difficult for couriers to find the correct location. This can lead to more time spent identifying the correct address or, in some cases, the item being sent back to the warehouse.

In our e-commerce operations, we often faced challenges with lost or damaged packages, particularly because our products were shipped in glass bottles. To protect them, we wrapped each bottle securely in bubble wrap and placed it inside a strong cardboard cylinder. However, the outer packaging used by carriers such as USPS or DHL was usually a simple polybag, which did not provide enough protection against rough handling.

We frequently received complaints from customers who received cracked or leaking products due to mishandling by delivery staff. In some cases, packages were thrown into mailboxes or dropped carelessly at doorsteps without proper placement or confirmation. Because these deliveries occurred when customers were away from home, packages sometimes went missing before they could be retrieved. As a result, what should have been a smooth delivery experience turned into a customer support issue requiring replacements or refunds.

This experience demonstrated how critical the “last mile” of delivery is. Even when the product leaves the warehouse in perfect condition, poor handling during final delivery can result in damaged items, lost revenue, unhappy customers, and a significant increase in support workload.

The Impact of Shipping Delays on Retailers

Late deliveries affect more than customer satisfaction. They also influence a retailer’s revenue, reputation, and operations.

Loss of Sales and Revenue

Long delivery times discourage buyers from completing their orders. Research shows that 32% of customers abandon their online shopping carts when estimated delivery times are too long. Additionally, 65% of business leaders say supply chain issues are causing greater financial losses than they predicted. This makes reliable shipping a vital part of a company’s success.

Damage to Brand Reputation

Customers rely on brands to deliver on time. A delayed order can create disappointment and reduce trust in the brand. When delays happen repeatedly, customers may post negative reviews, complain on social channels, or simply switch to a competitor. Rebuilding that trust can take a long time.

Difficulty in Managing Inventory

Retailers often struggle to predict demand accurately when there are shipping delays. To avoid empty shelves, they may overstock products. However, this increases storage costs and ties up money in inventory. On the other hand, ordering less stock could mean popular items run out quickly, leading to missed sales and frustrated customers. This balancing act becomes even more challenging when the timeline of incoming products is uncertain.

Strategies for Handling Shipping Delays

Even with the best systems in place, it is nearly impossible to avoid every delay. While retailers may not be responsible for some disruptions, customers will still expect them to solve the issue. Therefore, the key is to maintain control where possible and provide reassurance to customers when delays occur. Below are several strategies that can help retailers handle delayed deliveries more effectively.

Build a Strong Backup Plan

Retailers should always be prepared with alternative solutions in case something goes wrong. Working with multiple delivery partners, storing goods at more than one fulfillment center, and sourcing from different suppliers reduces the risk of a single failure causing major delays. Many companies are also investing in shipping insurance to protect themselves from unexpected losses or damage. With 89% of senior decision-makers believing that insurance is crucial for supply chain security, this safety net has become more important than ever.

During highly critical sales periods such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we learned that having a reliable backup plan is essential for maintaining smooth operations. To reduce risk, we proactively prepared secondary fulfillment options. This included setting up backup warehouses and redistributing inventory across multiple regions in advance. By doing so, if one location experienced delays due to staffing shortages, carrier overload, or weather issues, another warehouse could immediately take over fulfillment.

For extremely urgent or high-value customer orders, we even used international shipping routes or more expensive express delivery services to ensure packages still arrived within the promised timeframe. Although these backup arrangements increased our operational costs, the benefits were clear: customers received their orders faster, complaints were minimized, and our brand reputation remained strong during the busiest and most competitive season of the year.

This experience reinforced the importance of having multiple shipping options ready to activate, rather than depending on a single warehouse or carrier during periods of high demand.

Offer Shipping Incentives When Possible

Free shipping continues to be one of the most valued offers by customers. Studies show that 34% of consumers are willing to wait up to five extra days for delivery if they receive a shipping incentive such as free shipping. This approach helps balance customer expectations when delays occur.

To maintain customer satisfaction during delays, we offered shipping incentives whenever possible. For international customers who faced high customs charges, we provided refunds to avoid unexpected costs affecting their experience. We also offered a 15% discount on future orders to customers impacted by delayed deliveries. These gestures helped reduce frustration, retain trust, and encourage repeat purchases despite temporary shipping challenges.

Provide Pickup Options for Quick Access

Customers now expect different methods of receiving their orders. In-store pickup and curbside pickup are becoming more popular because they reduce dependency on delivery services and offer faster access to purchases. More than one-third of shoppers now choose these alternate fulfillment options to avoid delivery uncertainty.

Share Real-Time Shipping Information

Transparency is one of the most effective ways to reduce customer frustration. Real-time package tracking allows customers to see where their order is at any moment. Most e-commerce platforms now include tracking information directly in order confirmation emails, which builds confidence even if a delay happens.

Maintain Clear and Proactive Communication

Communication plays a critical role in shaping customer experience. Almost half of all brands are focusing on improving delivery-related communication with customers. Sharing accurate delivery timelines, notifying customers when delays happen, and explaining the cause of changes helps set realistic expectations. This approach reduces misunderstandings and protects the brand’s relationship with its buyers.

To prevent customer frustration during delays, we used bulk email notifications to keep buyers informed ahead of time. With tools like *Notify Rush, we proactively updated customers about expected delivery slowdowns, which helped set the right expectations and reduced the number of support inquiries caused by uncertainty

Provide Support if Delays Cause Dissatisfaction

When a delay becomes unavoidable, offering a small compensation can go a long way. Discounts, gift cards, or faster replacement deliveries act as gestures of goodwill that show customers the brand cares about their experience. While this may require additional expense, it helps prevent negative feedback and customer loss, which could be more damaging in the long term.

Preparing for the Future of Shipping

Shipping delays are likely to continue as the global supply chain remains complex and unpredictable. However, business success does not depend on eliminating delays altogether. It depends on how well retailers adapt and respond to them. Actions such as diversifying shipping options, improving communication, monitoring inventory levels closely, and focusing on customer-friendly fulfillment options can significantly lessen the impact of delays.

Conclusion

Shipping delays are a major challenge for retailers today. Many of the causes are unpredictable, including labor shortages, natural disasters, transportation disruptions, and global supply chain instability. However, this does not mean retailers must accept negative outcomes. By planning ahead and taking strategic steps, businesses can continue to protect their brand experience.

The most successful retailers maintain strong communication, give customers visibility into their orders, offer alternatives such as in-store pickup, and provide compensation when necessary. Most importantly, they focus on delivering a positive customer experience no matter the circumstance.

When businesses stay prepared and informed, customers remain confident that their orders are valued and secure. This trust will ultimately help retailers build stronger relationships and grow—even when delays occur.