Pickup & Delivery in 2025: The Numbers Every Farm Should Know

In 2024, we published our first annual Profitable Fulfillment report, which analyzed the numbers behind profitable delivery and pickup plans on Local Line.

👉 Read last year’s report: The Numbers Behind Profitable Pickups and Deliveries

This year, we’re back with fresh insights and trends to help you maximize your logistics profitability and efficiency. While some trends remained the same, there were some important changes in how farmers fulfill their orders. We’ll break down how things compare to last year, what’s remained consistent, and what it means for your farm.

Note: The previous report uses data from June 2023 to May 2024. This will be referred to as ‘Last Year’. The data for the current year covers June 2024 to May 2025, which will be referred to as 'This Year'.

What’s more popular, Pickup or Delivery? 

Like last year, pickup remains the dominant fulfillment method, with 2.8x more orders for pickup than for delivery. Pickup allows you to drop multiple orders at a single location, reducing driving time, and saving on fuel and labor costs. Many farms coordinate pickup with existing farmers’ market days or other routine commitments. Note: Pickup doesn’t always mean pickup on the farm, it’s usually a pickup point somewhere in a city, like a farmers market, gym, or neighborhood meet-up. 

While delivery is more complex and costly, it remains vital for many farms, serving both direct customers and wholesale buyers. Customers increasingly expect convenience, and farms that offer delivery can gain a competitive edge. 

For wholesale relationships, reliable delivery is often a non-negotiable expectation, helping strengthen partnerships with restaurants, retailers, and institutions. However, delivery must remain financially viable to avoid negatively impacting profit margins.

Average number of fulfillment plans

Farms are maintaining a similar number of fulfillment days as last year.

Order lead times are shorter than ever

One of the most striking shifts is in lead times: the number of days between order cutoff and fulfillment of that order.

It's interesting to note the decrease in order lead times for both delivery and pickup. While the exact cause is unclear, this shift may be due to improved systems, enhanced workflows that enable faster turnaround times, or increased customer demand for shorter or more frequent order cycles.

Fees: Charging for delivery, not for pickup

Here’s how fee structures compare:

• Delivery Fees: Last year, 64% of farms charged a delivery fee, with an average fee of $9.00. This year, the majority of users continue to charge for delivery, with an average fee of $15.87. The most common delivery fee remains at $5, suggesting a wide range of pricing strategies depending on region, delivery distance, and cost structures.
• Pickup Fees: The trend is largely unchanged: most farms do not charge a pickup fee. For those that do, the average fee remains modest, at around $3.50.

Minimum order for free delivery

A key metric to monitor is the minimum order required to qualify for free delivery. 

This suggests that while some farms are increasing their minimums to cover delivery costs, many still use $25 as a benchmark for customers. It strikes a balance between encouraging larger orders and keeping the threshold low enough not to deter customers.

What this means for your farm

These year-over-year comparisons offer a valuable snapshot of what’s working across farms and food hubs. Here are the main takeaways:

• Pickup remains the most common fulfillment option, but delivery is also an important and growing part of many farms’ models.
• Farms are streamlining their fulfillment operations, with lead times dropping, there’s a clear push toward greater efficiency and responsiveness.
• Delivery fees are rising, likely in response to the increasing costs of fuel, labor, and vehicle maintenance. If you haven’t reviewed your delivery pricing recently, it may be time.
• Order minimums are holding steady, but the slight increase in the average suggests some farms are adjusting their thresholds to ensure delivery remains profitable.

Your fulfillment strategy isn’t something you set once and forget. It should evolve with your business each year. Before the busy growing season kicks off, take a moment to review your process and make sure your fulfillment settings still fit your needs. 

If you’re using Local Line, you can take advantage of reports like sales by fulfillment plan, average lead time, and the breakdown of delivery versus pickup.

These benchmarks are a helpful starting point, but they’re no substitute for a deeper look at your farm’s unique sales patterns and goals. Need help fine-tuning your fulfillment strategy? Chat with our team to learn more about what Local Line can do for you.