Ship Your Holiday Gifts on Time
Planning to do a little online shopping this holiday season? Perhaps you have been doing a little (or a lot) online shopping for the past several months. It seems to have become the nation’s past time as we await the veil of COVID-19 to lift.
In 2019, the US Postal Service projected a whopping 800 million package deliveries between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day with the busiest stretch of the holiday delivery season peaking two weeks before Christmas. The stakes are much higher this year and shipping companies are anticipating record-breaking volume. Peak season for shippers began months ago and some have advised they are at or near capacity. Large and small carriers alike warn that they are unable take on new clients putting timely holiday arrivals in jeopardy.
When it comes to holiday deliveries, they have one piece of advice for consumers – don’t wait.
To keep up with this year’s overloading demand, shipping companies have expanded their offerings and workforce. UPS for instance has hired 100,000 seasonal workers. FedEx and others have accelerated their services with Sunday deliveries. New automated systems have been put in place to support and enhance existing services, and most shipping companies offer both standard and expedited delivery options.
If your holiday gift-giving includes shipping, there are several companies and delivery options to choose from. And while expedited shipping is one such option, expect to pay a premium for it. This year’s anticipated cost for waiting until the last minute may cost you three times as much, plus the danger that your package may not be delivered in time at all. Here is a sampling of shipping company deadlines.
USPS
December 15: ground service
December 18: 1st class mail/packages
December 19: priority mail
December 23: priority mail express
UPS
December 14: ground service
December 21: 3-day select
December 22: 2nd day air
December 23: next day service
FedEx
December 15: ground service
December 21: express saver
December 22: 2-day service
December 23: overnight delivery
As of this writing Amazon had not yet published its Holiday Delivery Calendar. However, Prime members may be able to enjoy quicker turnaround on qualifying purchases. And they have created Hub Counters where purchases can be picked up at a brick and mortar location, such as Whole Foods. Many retailers are also offering similar services including curbside and contactless pick up.
The shipping companies will tell you that they can deliver on time only if the item is shipped on time. That means you need to shop on time. Game on.
(Photo credit: Nathan Lemon, Unsplash)