While just a few years ago, it was typical to have to wait four or five days for a package to arrive, that won’t cut it in today’s environment. Expectations have changed so much that if people wait more than two days, they start to panic and complain. With the help of on demand delivery, customers get what they want as soon as they want it.

Here are five ways that delivery has changed around us.

1. Sustainable Logistics in Cities

Since there’s no shortage of growth in cities around the world, there need to be better solutions for densely populated regions. When we rethink what deliver means in tight and congested cities, we can save money, space, and help lower our impact on the environment.

With the help of electric trucks used by some of the most established companies in delivery, the whole world of delivery changed. Within just a few years, the cost to produce electric trucks will rival the cost of creating a diesel one.

With UPS converting their trucks to electric in New York City, they’re prepared for the coming wave of electric vehicles. They can even cut their emissions down by nearly half in the next decade.

The west coast is also seeing a change as Chanje has put down half a million delivery trucks, with clamoring to make them all electric.

Electric vehicles are just one idea for getting rid of large trucks that are needed to move large objects. However, a Jakarta company, Go-Jek, is creating a fleet of motorcycle taxis to deliver objects all around the city.

2. Changing Expectations

While we don’t have full on-demand delivery, it’s right around the corner. While the restaurant and small grocery stores have had on-demand delivery for decades, large companies are moving faster than ever.

The speed of delivery changes expectations as it grows rapidly.

Costco and BestBuy are in a rush to be the best same-day deliverers while Amazon pushes to meet the needs of customers better than most any other company. In fact, Amazon has rolled out one-hour delivery services to push the envelope even further. These speeds that weren’t industry standards just a few years ago are spiraling out of control.

Target has been trying to keep up with next-day deliveries and has managed to pull their weight.

Even luxury and designer brands are starting to branch out into this concept. Gucci can now give you their luxury goods in just 90 minutes in a wide variety of markets.

While hot food and perishables make perfect sense, there are speed records being broken by companies that no one asked to speed up. It should prove to be great for business, however.

3. Ghost Restaurants

“Ghost restaurants” might be a little bit of a misnomer, however, there has been a huge rise in the number of restaurants that have no tables and chairs. They aren’t around to serve customers on a plate with the help fo servers, bussers, and hosts. These restraints are purely delivery only.

In big cities around the world, restaurants that top the charts on GrubHub and other services are found to be getting ratings and pleasing customers. However, if you show up to have a dining experience with them, you’ll be sorely disappointed. You won’t find a waiter, a tablecloth, or a sommelier anywhere to be seen.

While this might not seem like the most sustainable move in the world of delivery, it’s a smart move for popular restaurants whose kitchens are swamped. Having a second kitchen where you can serve just the special order could take some of the pressure off the kitchen. That will also allow restaurants to serve more people in a more efficient way.

4. Grocery Delivery

While it’s no breaking piece of news, grocery delivery has returned in a totally new way. Grocery delivery used to be in the real of small town living, where a local kid would swing by with an order you made over the phone in exchange for a nickel.

When it was reported that Amazon had purchased Whole Foods last year, a lot of people were left scratching their heads. Why would Jeff Bezos, the king of efficiency, buy a sustainable, compassionate, and fairly inefficient business?

In a market like Whole Foods, there’s an attention paid to food that you see nowhere else. The apples are always piled perfectly high and each one feels carefully selected. However, that timing might not work for everyone.

Some people don’t want to pick out the perfect apple and just want one now. If you’ve got a list of other things, you could potentially get your groceries delivered. With the success of Whole Foods and New York’s Fresh Direct, it wouldn’t be surprising to find the aisles of the grocery store quiet in coming years.

5. Keyless Entry

With the recent advent of keyless entry and proposals for in-home delivery, a company like Amazon can unlock your home and leave packages behind. Never worry about having a package stolen or getting it up the stairs. You’ll have it waiting right on your table when you get home.

While various companies are struggling to get the contracts with all of the major online retailers, users have raised privacy concerns. Even though it’s an interesting idea, not everyone wants strangers going into their home.

On-Demand Delivery Can Please Customers

While you might not want to ultimately handle on-demand delivery for your business, it might be an inevitability in coming years. If you’re not ready for the rising delivery tide or haven’t made the effort to learn about it, perhaps now is the time.

If you haven’t organized your warehouse yet, check out our guide for reasons why.