Why Are My Ecommerce Orders Taking So Long to Ship?
- Zak Richardson
- Jun 28
- 3 min read
Why Are My Ecommerce Orders Taking So Long to Ship?
Slow order shipping is one of the quickest ways to frustrate your customers and damage your brand reputation. If you’re an ecommerce business struggling with fulfilment delays, you’re not alone.
Many brands I work with assume that courier services are to blame, but in reality, most delays happen before the order even leaves the warehouse.
These delays have you dealing with increased customer contact, poor reviews and spending your time chasing orders when you should be chasing growth.
In this post, I’ll break down the most common causes of ecommerce shipping delays, how to pinpoint where the problem lies, and what you can do to fix it.
Common Causes of Shipping Delays in Ecommerce Fulfilment
1. Picking and Packing Bottlenecks
The pick and pack process is where many small to medium ecommerce brands run into problems, especially as order volumes grow.
Common issues include:
Not enough staff during busy periods
Inefficient pick routes that waste time
Poorly organised stock locations making items hard to find
If your warehouse layout hasn’t kept pace with your growth, your team may struggle to process orders on time.
2. Inventory Issues
Stock availability is another major cause of shipping delays.
Typical problems:
Running out of popular products
Inaccurate stock counts leading to overselling
Slow or reactive stock replenishment
If your team is constantly chasing missing stock or having to adjust orders after they’re placed, your fulfilment speed will suffer.
3. Order Processing Workflow Problems
Sometimes the bottleneck isn’t physical, it’s in your systems and workflows.
Look out for:
Orders sitting in “unfulfilled” status for too long
Manual order entry between your sales channels and warehouse
No automation to help prioritise or batch orders
A slow or error-prone order management process will delay everything downstream.
4. Capacity vs Order Volume Mismatch
If your daily order volume suddenly spikes because of a successful promotion or seasonal peak, your team and processes might struggle to keep up.
Warning signs:
Backlogs that keep growing day after day
Staff rushing to get orders out before courier cut-off times
More packing mistakes due to the pressure
Scaling your operations isn’t just about adding people. It’s about improving flow and efficiency at each stage.
5. Courier or Last Mile Delays
Sometimes the courier really is the problem, but it’s often only part of the story.
Possible courier-related causes:
Late or missed daily collections
Using slower services when customers expect faster delivery
Poor communication with your courier account manager
If your internal processes are running smoothly but deliveries are still late, it might be time to review your courier setup.
How to Identify Where the Delay Is Happening
Before you start making big changes, it’s important to pinpoint where the real issue is.
Here are three simple checks:
Order timestamps: Look at how long it takes from the customer placing an order to your team marking it as dispatched.
Pick and pack times: If you can, track how long each stage (picking, packing, labelling) takes on average.
Courier handover times: Check when your parcels are actually being handed over to the courier each day. If you’re missing your scheduled collection time, the delay is likely in your warehouse.
Quick Wins to Reduce Ecommerce Shipping Delays
You don’t need a full warehouse overhaul to see improvements.
Some simple, low-cost actions include:
Reorganising pick routes to reduce walking time
Using a clear, easy-to-follow pick list system
Improving stock accuracy with a rolling stock takes and regular counts of fast moving lines.
Adjusting staff schedules to better match your order flow
Reviewing your courier booking process to avoid missed pickups
When to Get External Help
If you’re seeing any of these warning signs, it may be time to bring in outside support:
Daily order backlogs you can’t clear
More errors in picking or packing
Rising customer complaints about late deliveries
Warehouse team burnout or high staff turnover
Uncertainty about how to scale your operation
Need help identifying and fixing your fulfilment bottlenecks? I offer quick-turnaround audits and hands-on support for ecommerce brands.
Let’s get your operation moving again.
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