Australians continue to face long wait times when they order from abroad, contrasting the immediacy that services like Amazon have conditioned shoppers to expect. By enlisting ordinary citizens to deliver packages as they go about their day, Passel hopes to help ease the pain points of e-commerce.

The creation of Amazon Go – a cashierless supermarket where customers pick up items and walk out – seems to be winning in the race to master automated experiences. But competitors, such as Microsoft, are not staying far behind, giving the retail-giant some serious competition.

In June 2018 eBay is launching its membership service, eBay Plus, in Australia. The retail platform is hoping that the convenience of the service – including unlimited deliveries and returns – might persuade those who often abandon their shopping cart to spend more online.

E-commerce has made it simple to order almost anything at any time – but physically getting what you’ve bought isn’t always so convenient. How are retailers coping with the growing demand for same-day and one-hour delivery? And is speed the only thing that matters to shoppers?