The e-commerce shipping landscape is evolving rapidly. With online sales in Australia tipped to surge to $87 billion this year, AI adoption on the rise, and consumer delivery expectations changing, now, more than ever, online retailers need to ensure their business is equipped to keep pace with demand.

Consumers expect faster, flexible delivery options

Recent data from ShipStation’s E-commerce Delivery Benchmark Report 2025 revealed that 43 per cent of Australian consumers now expect a standard online order to arrive within two days, up from 34 per cent in 2023. Furthermore, an astonishing 69 per cent said they would switch brands if a competitor offered more convenient delivery or return options.

The message is clear: In 2026, a successful e-commerce operation hinges not just on product quality or pricing, but overwhelmingly on the seamless experience provided by its shipping and fulfilment strategy. Scalable fulfilment requires coordinating your entire operation. This means looking beyond just how you ship products to customers to how you manage your inventory, handle returns and exchanges, and turn shipping data into insights that unlock growth.

Inventory control that drives growth 

Inventory management plays an important role in any operational strategy. If you don’t get your inventory right, it can have a flow-on effect across your entire supply chain, and given that consumers today expect near-instant fulfilment, even minor tracking errors and stock miscalculations can lead to both revenue loss and brand trust. 

A good inventory management strategy focuses on using data to drive insights and operational efficiency, eliminating guesswork and moving away from manual spreadsheets. With the right systems and tools in place, you can more accurately forecast stock levels, keep your selling channels stocked, scan incoming inventory faster, identify selling patterns to retain more customers, and improve quality control with quick reactions to recalls or damaged products. Companies with optimised inventory management systems can achieve a 10-25 per cent reduction in operational costs.  

Investing in inventory and warehouse management solutions can be a costly exercise, so it’s important to choose a system that works for your business, not against it. ShipStation’s built-in Inventory and Warehouse Management feature eliminates the need to choose between sourcing a third-party solution and manual processes that don’t scale. Because everything connects directly to your order sources, all systems communicate automatically, thereby eliminating the need to manually update stock levels. The result: Accurate inventory levels without having to juggle multiple platforms, reduced fulfilment errors, and time saved through automation.

Returns that build customer loyalty

Another important element to consider when optimising your shipping and fulfilment strategy is how you handle your returns and exchanges.

Returns are an inevitable, yet important, part of business for e-commerce retailers. A seamless returns and exchanges process can turn a frustrated first-time buyer into a loyal customer, while a poor returns experience can result in lost revenue, fewer customers, additional labour and shipping costs, and inventory depreciation. With 69 per cent of customers willing to switch brands for more convenient return options, a poor returns experience doesn’t just impact the bottom line; it hinders your ability to be competitive.

The brands that recognise returns management is not about damage control, but an opportunity to differentiate and build customer loyalty, will be the ones that come out ahead in 2026. The best returns and exchange programs include:

• Self-service options that give customers greater flexibility.
• Transparent returns policies without hidden fees or confusing terms.
• Fast processing that returns money or exchanges quickly.
• Personalised service based on customer history.
• Continuous improvement using returns data to fix known issues.

It is important to invest in the right software that lets you seamlessly process your returns and exchanges from one place, without having to switch between clunky, complicated systems. With ShipStation’s integrated returns and exchanges solution, retailers can automate the entire returns process, giving customers the flexibility to process returns in their own time through a branded self-service portal, while also providing customised exchange options. This keeps revenue in your business while providing customers the flexibility they expect. 

Insights that drive profit

We all know the saying, data is king. In shipping, it can become your competitive advantage. Every time you make a sale, you create data. Whether you ship ten orders or 500, this data can help to unlock the secrets to your success. But if you don’t have the right systems in place to surface this data, your growth will remain stagnant.

For many e-commerce retailers, the most valuable types of shipping analytics that can help them unlock that next stage, focus on three key areas:

• Inventory intelligence: What products are selling vs those that are not, how your stock levels are faring. 
• Carrier performance: Are your carrier partners meeting their delivery timeframes? Are products getting damaged or lost?.
• Customer buying patterns: Identifying seasonal trends and repeat purchase behaviour. 

When these insights are integrated into your fulfilment workflow rather than a separate reporting tool, they become actionable, helping you reduce shipping costs, enhance the customer experience, improve operational efficiency, and forecast and plan more strategically.

Your set-up doesn’t need to be complicated; it just needs to be meaningful. With ShipStation’s built-in analytics feature, there’s no need for spreadsheet exports or separate reporting tools – everything you need to unlock your shipping potential is available at the click of a button. Track carrier performance, spot inventory trends, and understand customer behaviour from the same platform where you fulfil orders.

Scalable fulfilment starts with you

The businesses that will thrive in 2026 will be those that adapt their fulfilment strategies to keep pace with customer demand. For true success, a scalable fulfilment strategy must go beyond shipping and integrate into your business’s operational rhythm.

• Power your growth at every stage of fulfilment and stay ahead of the competition, with a 30-day free trial of ShipStation today.