One day in early November, I ordered an emotional support pickle. The image on Amazon showed a green crocheted prolate, with a pink bow fixed on top and two black button eyes. It held a sign that read, “Emotional Support Pickle: I will always be around to let you know that you are a BIG DILL.”

I wanted it right away. And my wish seemed attainable.

In the past year, if you’ve shopped online from one of the big retailers, you’ve probably noticed new delivery options. You do not have to wait two days or even overnight for your package to arrive. Instead, you can get what you want that very afternoon, between 4 and 8 p.m., if you’d like.

For $6.99, I could get a little emotional support during the busy holiday shopping season, which, for a reporter covering the retail industry, is also the busy season. More important, I wanted to understand how it was possible to order a gag gift in the morning and have it arrive before I went to sleep.

Retailers, which have long competed on price or quality, are now in an all-out race for same-day deliveries. Why? Few people truly need the service; if you are desperate for diapers or a special pasta-making attachment, you’ll go to the store. But companies have found that, once acquired, the taste for speedy delivery makes customers both loyal and willing to spend more money.