Blue Yonder has dropped fresh data on how people plan to shop and ship gifts this holiday season. The 2025 Global Consumer Holiday Shipping Survey covers 6,000+ consumers across ANZ, France, Germany, the Middle East, the UK and the US, and the message is blunt: people want fast and free, don’t fully trust delivery promises, and are open to workarounds like store pickup and lockers. Fieldwork ran in October 2025, with results released on 13 November 2025.   

KEY TAKEAWAYS
  • Over half of consumers expect “standard” delivery in 2–4 days; Middle East shoppers are near the top. 
  • Only a third feel very confident about promised delivery dates; confidence is highest in the Middle East. 
  • Most people buying for others will shop 3–4 weeks early to avoid delays. 
  • 94% in the Middle East prefer to ship gifts direct from retailers; few will pay extra for expedited shipping. 
  • Click & collect and lockers are the top “free and fast” alternatives; many will bundle orders to cut emissions. 

What Middle East shoppers expect from “standard” delivery

Shoppers increasingly think “standard” should still be quick. The Middle East is among the regions pushing for 2–4-day delivery as the norm.

  • 53% globally expect orders in 2–4 days; 54% in the Middle East hold this view. 
  • The region sits alongside France and the UK, ahead of the US and ANZ. 

Standard isn’t “slow” anymore. In the UAE context, this puts pressure on last-mile partners and inventory placement. Retailers should sanity-check their promised windows against courier capacity, especially during peak weeks.

Confidence is shaky, so people order earlier

People want speed but don’t fully believe ETAs, which pushes them to buy earlier.

  • Only 34% are very confident in on-time delivery; it’s higher in the Middle East at 51%. 
  • 78% buying for people outside their household plan to shop 3–4 weeks early. Gen Z, Millennials and Gen X skew to 3–4 weeks; many Boomers go 1+ month. 

When trust is low, shoppers pad timelines. For UAE merchants, communicating realistic cut-off dates and surfacing “order by” timers can reduce basket anxiety and support conversion during November and early December.

Free vs fast: who actually pays for speed?

Most shoppers still love “free.” Many won’t pay extra to rush a gift, even with a deadline breathing down their neck.

  • In the Middle East, only 11% say they won’t pay anything extra for expedited shipping, compared with 40% in the US and 43% in the UK. 
  • 86% prefer shipping gifts directly from retailers; that jumps to 94% in the Middle East. 

For UAE stores, retailer-direct gifting is now table stakes. Offer clear “send as a gift” flows, invoice suppression, gift notes and reliable address validation. If you want to help customers stretch budgets, consider flexible payments too. We’ve covered BNPL’s expansion across the UAE and KSA here for context.

Click & collect and lockers: the “free and fast” pressure valve

People are willing to change how they receive parcels to save time and fees.

  • 53% will use in-store pickup for speed; 42% are open to locker pickup. For free shipping, these are also the top two choices. 
  • Direct-from-retailer gifting is already the default for most. 

If you run a UAE retail site, make pickup options obvious on PDPs and at checkout. Use post-purchase SMS with live maps for store and locker directions. Stock allocation matters: keep click-and-collect inventory local and refresh it hourly in peak weeks.

Greener choices: small changes, real signals

Sustainability isn’t the top driver, but consumers will adapt if it’s simple and transparent.

  • 56% will bundle purchases to cut the footprint; 34% accept slower shipping for lower emissions; 23% will pay for carbon offsets. In the Middle East, one-third will pay the fee. 

Bundle prompts, “greenest option” labels, and realistic delivery windows help. UAE retailers can test defaulting to consolidated shipments for orders placed within a short window, while still giving a clear opt-out.

What this means for UAE retailers right now

The market is walking a tightrope: fast, free and greener. You can’t always deliver all three at once, but you can set expectations and give smart choices.

  • Be honest on dates and cut-offs; update them by city and courier load. 
  • Push direct-from-retailer gifting with clean UX and gift options. 
  • Promote click & collect and parcel lockers as the fastest free options. 
  • Add a “greener delivery” toggle and explain what it changes. 

Shopping for actual gifts? We’ve got picks and live deals for the UAE audience:

FAQs

Who was surveyed and when?

Blue Yonder fielded the survey in October 2025, polling 6,000+ consumers in ANZ, France, Germany, the Middle East, the UK and the US who said they plan to buy holiday gifts. 

What delivery speed do people now expect for “standard” shipping?

Most expect delivery within 2–4 days, with the Middle East among the regions most likely to hold that view. 

Are shoppers confident gifts will arrive on time?

Not especially. Only about a third feel very confident, which is pushing earlier purchases. Confidence is relatively higher in the Middle East. 

Will people pay extra to speed up delivery?

Many won’t. The reluctance is strongest in the UK and US, though it’s lower in the Middle East. 

What “free and fast” alternatives are people open to?

Click & collect and parcel lockers lead both for speed and for keeping shipping free. 

Source: Blue Yonder, “2025 Global Consumer Holiday Shipping Survey,” published 13 Nov 2025.