Shipping has quickly become a signature point of competition for merchants in online merchandising, with numerous retailers striving to not only offer free shipping, but speedy deliveries as well. Amazon led the charge by opening order fulfillment centers in several major cities to offer customers same-day shipping. Now, Internet Retailer reported business-to-customer and business-to-business electronics retailer Newegg has entered the fray by rolling out same-day delivery to customers in Los Angeles, California.

“Testing same-day delivery for our LA-based customers is something we’ve been closely looking at for many months,” says Soren Mills, chief marketing officer of Newegg North America. “If all goes as planned, we will expand into new delivery areas.”

Given the way free shipping has quickly become a common expectation among customers, it is only reasonable to anticipate that customers may soon start to demand same-day delivery as well. Lengthy delivery times have always been one of the most contentious parts of shopping online, so merchants offering same-day delivery may be able to get a significant advantage over their competitors.

There is no denying that same-day delivery is a significant game changer, as it opens retailers up to tackle new niches. For example, shoppers may be more willing to purchase commodities such as toilet paper or deodorant online. In the past, people would have simply bought these items in a nearby store. But same-day delivery makes it convenient for customers to finalize these purchases online before they go to school or work and they’ll have those goods at their doorstep when they get back.

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