Sales this weekend likely to be $34 billion

Shopping

retailers are offering same-day delivery in select cities, said Al Sambar, a logistics and retail strategist at the consulting firm Kurt Salmon.

Thanks to improved shipping logistics, many online and catalog retailers established Christmas delivery deadlines on Thursday and Friday, with some like Amazon extending the deadline for one-day shipping until Saturday.

Shoppers can expect the trend to continue.

Retailers are increasingly focusing on speed. Following Amazon’s lead, retailers are experimenting with regional warehouses to get the product closer to customers, said Raj Kumar, a retail partner at A.T. Kearney, a global management consulting firm.

Macy’s, Toys R Us and Wal-Mart are testing pilot programs in which stores themselves are utilized as shipping hubs as retailers push for next-day and same-day delivery, he said.

Unlike Amazon, L.L. Bean’s worldwide shipping hub is centralized, about a mile from the corporate headquarters, and features seemingly endless aisles of flannel shirts, L.L. Bean boots, camping supplies, and other items, along with a labyrinth of conveyors and chutes that transport them, and a fleet of trucks.

The company hired 4,700 seasonal workers to help with the holiday rush, doubling the workforce, and 500 administrative employees are expected to get into the