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Couriers & Local Delivery Services in the US Industry Data and Analysis
Courier and local delivery service providers benefited from higher e-commerce demand, digital transformation and evolving consumer expectations for faster, more convenient delivery options. E-commerce sales climbed 5.6% year-over-year in 2026. This pushed businesses to invest heavily in same-day delivery capabilities, real-time tracking systems and premium services that generate higher revenue per parcel. Intense competition from retail giants like Amazon and Walmart has pressured traditional couriers to rethink their operational strategies. In-house delivery networks and nonemployer growth will likely force couriers to further optimize costs. Major couriers like UPS and FedEx have responded by consolidating operations, prioritizing business-to-business services. They are also investing billions in automation to reduce per-package costs. Profit as a share of revenue has declined from 9.0% in 2021 to 8.5% in 2026. Wage inflation, tariff-driven increases in vehicle parts and elevated compliance spending offset efficiency gains from route optimization and digital tools. Over the last five years, local delivery service revenue climbed at a CAGR of 1.5%, rising 2.5% to $195.0 billion in 2026.
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What's included in this industry analysis
IBISWorld's research coverage on the Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2016-2031. The most recent publication was released February 2026.
About this industry
What's this industry report about?
The Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States operates under the NAICS industry code 49222. This report combines two segments: couriers and local delivery services. Operators in the couriers segment primarily engage in delivery services between urban centers using a network of air and surface transportation systems. Conversely, operators in the local delivery services segment provide delivery services within a single urban area and are not part of courier networks. Related terms covered in the Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States include courier service, local messengers and express delivery.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States include Air transit services, Ground deliveries and Other services including messengers and local deliveries.
What companies are included in this industry?
Companies covered in the Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States include FedEx Corporation and United Parcel Service, Inc.
Performance
What's included in the Performance chapter?
The Performance chapter covers detailed analysis, datasets, detailed current performance, sources of volatility and an outlook with forecasts for the Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States.
Questions answered in this chapter include what's driving current industry performance, what influences industry volatility, how do successful businesses overcome volatility, what's driving the industry outlook. This analysis is supported with data and statistics on industry revenues, costs, profits, businesses and employees.
Products & Markets
What's included in the Products and Markets chapter?
The Products and Markets chapter covers detailed products and service segmentation and analysis of major markets for the for the Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States.
Questions answered in this chapter include how are the industry's products and services performing, what are innovations in industry products and services, what products or services do successful businesses offer and what's influencing demand from the industry's markets. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by product and service segmentation and major markets.
Geographic Breakdown
What's included in the Geographic Breakdown chapter?
The Geographic Breakdown chapter covers detailed analysis and datasets on regional performance of the Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States.
Questions answered in this chapter include where are industry businesses located and how do businesses use location to their advantage. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by location.
Competitive Forces
What's included in the Competitive Forces chapter?
The Competitive Forces chapter covers the concentration, barriers to entry and supplier and buyer profiles in the Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States. This includes data and statistics on industry market share concentration, barriers to entry, substitute products and buyer & supplier power.
Questions answered in this chapter include what impacts the industry's market share concentration, how do successful businesses handle concentration, what challenges do potential industry entrants face, how can potential entrants overcome barriers to entry, what are substitutes for industry services, how do successful businesses compete with substitutes and what power do buyers and suppliers have over the industry and how do successful businesses manage buyer & supplier power.
Companies
What's included in the Companies chapter?
The Companies chapter covers Key Takeaways, Market Share and Companies in the Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States. This includes data and analysis on companies operating in the industry that hold a market share greater than 5%.
Questions answered in this chapter include what companies have a meaningful market share and how each company is performing.
External Environment
What's included in the External Environment chapter?
The External Environment chapter covers Key Takeaways, External Drivers, Regulation & Policy and Assistance in the Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States. This includes data and statistics on factors impacting industry revenue such as economic indicators, regulation, policy and assistance programs.
Questions answered in this chapter include what demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the industry, what regulations impact the industry, what assistance is available to this industry.
Financial Benchmarks
What's included in the Financial Benchmarks chapter?
The Financial Benchmarks chapter covers Key Takeaways, Cost Structure, Financial Ratios, Valuation Multiples and Key Ratios in the Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States. This includes financial data and statistics on industry performance including key cost inputs, profitability, key financial ratios and enterprise value multiples.
Questions answered in this chapter include what trends impact industry costs and how financial ratios have changed overtime.
Industry Data
What's included in the Industry Data chapter?
The Industry Data chapter includes 10 years of historical data with 5 years of forecast data covering statistics like revenue, industry value add, establishments, enterprises, employment and wages in the Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the market size of the Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States in 2026?
The market size of the Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States is $195.0bn in 2026.
How many businesses are there in the Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States in 2026?
There are 3m businesses in the Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States, which has grown at a CAGR of 13.7 % between 2021 and 2026.
How may import tariffs affect the Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States?
The Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States?
The Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
Has the Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States has been growing at a CAGR of 1.5 % between 2021 and 2026.
What is the forecast growth of the Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States?
The biggest companies operating in the Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States are FedEx Corporation and United Parcel Service, Inc.
What does the Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States include?
Providing air courier services and Providing general courier services (intercity network) are part of the Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States?
The company holding the most market share in the Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States is FedEx Corporation.
How competitive is the Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States?
The level of competition is high and steady in the Couriers & Local Delivery Services industry in the United States.
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