The finding: Nearly three-quarters (72%) of US direct-to-consumer (D2C) shoppers say delivery speed is their top priority when deciding where to shop, per a new survey commissioned by Radial.

Product availability (66%) and free or easy returns (63%) followed closely, while traditional D2C brand differentiators like quality (32%) and brand values (38%) lagged far behind.

Why it matters: D2C retailers once used sleek merchandising, strong brand narratives, and a sense of exclusivity to build their brands. But as many have scaled—expanding into physical retail and third-party channels—consumer expectations have shifted. Their ecommerce customers are less concerned about the story behind the brand and more about basic operational execution.