But according to a new Booz & Company survey of more than 1,000 online shoppers in the U.S., most customers don't necessarily need same-day delivery and, in fact, in many cases they don't want it. They are getting home from work, going online, and placing an order. But they don't want the item to arrive while they are making dinner or putting their kids to bed, let alone have it sit on their doorstep overnight.

This is where it gets interesting for traditional retailers that are willing to rethink their business model. By using their hundreds or thousands of physical storefronts as local distribution centers, bricks-and-mortar retailers are actually better positioned than e-tailers to deliver products rapidly to customers. And although our survey focused on the U.S., we believe the findings are applicable to other countries with well-developed retail and transportation sectors. With the possibility of free, ground-based, next-day delivery to consumers, the tables may be turning.

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Keywords: retail supply chain, value chain, online retail sales, multichannel retailing, logistics services, logistics & supply chain, supply chain management, supply chain management IT, value chain IT