White Glove Delivery

White glove delivery is a premium delivery service that goes significantly beyond standard drop-off. At minimum, it includes delivery to a specific room of the customer's choice ("room of choice" service); fully featured white glove service adds unpacking, assembly, installation, demonstration, and removal of packaging materials. It is standard for large, heavy, or high-value items — furniture, appliances, exercise equipment, fine art, and high-end electronics — where delivery to the front door is insufficient.

What White Glove Service Includes

Service levels vary by provider, but a comprehensive white glove program typically includes:

• Room-of-choice delivery: Delivery team brings the item to the specific room the customer designates, rather than leaving it at the door or in a garage
• Unpacking: All packaging material is removed from the product
• Assembly: Furniture, exercise equipment, or other products requiring assembly are assembled at the delivery location
• Installation: Mounting (TVs, shelving), plumbing connections (appliances), or electrical connections (within permitted limits)
• Testing and demonstration: The delivery team verifies the product functions correctly and walks the customer through basic operation
• Packaging removal: All boxes, foam, and packing materials are taken away

Some providers also offer:

• Old product haul-away: Removal of the customer's existing item being replaced
• Setup and calibration: For high-end AV equipment, calibrating settings at delivery
• White-glove reverse logistics: Scheduled pickup and return of damaged or unwanted items

White Glove Logistics Providers

White glove delivery requires a different infrastructure than standard parcel carriers. Key providers:

• XPO Logistics (Last Mile): One of the largest US white glove networks, serving major furniture retailers and appliance manufacturers
• J.B. Hunt 360 (Final Mile): Nationwide white glove network with 2-person delivery teams
• Estes Final Mile: Operates through a network of local delivery contractors
• Ceva Logistics and Ryder Last Mile: Major contract logistics providers with white glove capabilities
• Wayfair CastleGate: Wayfair's own white glove delivery infrastructure for its furniture marketplace

Economics of White Glove Delivery

White glove delivery is expensive — delivery teams are two-person (required for heavy items and liability), appointments must be scheduled, and dwell time per stop is 30–90 minutes versus 2–3 minutes for standard parcel drops. Typical white glove delivery costs range from $50 to $200+ per delivery depending on item size, delivery location, and service level.

Retailers typically offer white glove service as a premium option, pricing it at $99–$299 per delivery. For items like sofas or refrigerators where the purchase price is $800–$3,000, a $149 white glove fee represents 5–15% of purchase value — an acceptable upsell for most customers when the alternative is struggling with a 200-lb box alone.