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The holiday shopping season is still going strong. As we recover from the hangover of Black Friday, it’s important to remember that shipping has been hit hard this year, and hasn’t recovered to pre-pandemic lead times. That, combined with the shipping delays on the supply side, means you should get your holiday gifting out of the way sooner, rather than later. So if you want to pick up the latest and greatest Android tablets, or one of the best gaming laptops, it’s time to decide what you’re gifting. You don’t want to have to fill the empty space under the tree with prop boxes with IOU notes inside, so don’t delay. Or next year, you might be on the naughty list.
There are still deals to be found for savvy shoppers
While the main shopping holidays are over, there are still some great deals to be had. Best Buy is deep into its 20 Days of Deals event, which finishes on December 17. There’s a new deal every day, and if the day’s deal isn’t of interest, it will also show you the following deal, so you know if you should come back the next day. Amazon has thousands of toys and games discounted currently, with everything from Lego to Nerf dart guns on offer.
Many other retailers are running sales before Christmas, including:
Delivery and shipping times are getting longer
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With roughly two weeks until Christmas, the window for receiving or mailing gifts is getting smaller by the hour. Shipping costs for expedited delivery are going to hurt if you leave it too late, and in some cases, even paying for expedited won’t be enough to get them under the tree on time. There are also things to keep in mind when dropping off packages at shippers, like doing it in the morning so that they go out that day, rather than the next. A couple of hours delay when dropping off can mean a whole day delay in shipping, and that’s before any potential delays in transit.
Christmas shipping deadlines for the major carriers
FedEx: For shipping with FedEx, the shipping deadline depends on which service you are shipping with. FedEx Ground 5-day shipping is December 15, while FedEx Ground Economy is December 13. And for those paying the premium for one-day shipping, it’s December 21, the Thursday before Christmas.
UPS: For those shipping with UPS, you’ll want to send them before December 19 to take advantage of the most cost-effective UPS 3 Day Select option, which will get gifts there before December 23. UPS Next Day Air services will need to be shipped by December 21, again the Thursday before the holiday. And Saturday delivery options can be up until December 22, but will come with a hefty premium.
USPS: The last scheduled delivery day for USPS this year is Saturday, December 23. That means you need to get packages mailed by December 16 if using five-day USPS Ground Advantage or First-Class Mail. Paying for four-day delivery means you have until December 18, and Priority Mail Express 1-day shipping can be used until December 21.
If you can, opt for curbside
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If you don’t want to roll the dice with holiday shipping times, your best bet is curbside pickup. The best part about this isn’t that your gifts will get to you quicker, as many stores have pickup within a couple of hours of ordering, it’s that you won’t have to leave the warmth of your vehicle at all. Most stores offer this right up until Christmas Eve, so as long as it’s an in-stock item, you should have no worries getting that special gift. Best Buy has pickup in store or curbside within an hour of delivery, Walmart lets you choose your pickup time and will email you once it’s ready, and Apple has in-store within an hour in many cases, or you can pay for same-day delivery for a small fee.
But you won’t want to wait until Christmas Eve. Thanks to shipping delays further up the supply chain, you can’t be sure that what’s in stock today, won’t be gone tomorrow. Our advice is to finish your holiday gift shopping as soon as possible, because nobody wants a bare tree this year. That goes for wrapping paper, bows, and other ornaments too, as popular colors might run out.
Best Buy
Best Buy has in-store or contactless curbside pickup options, so you won’t be at the mercy of ever-increasing shipping times.
You don’t want gifts to arrive after the holidays
Between shipping times and stock levels, it’s been a difficult season for gifting. The best advice is to buy now, so that you don’t miss the holiday shipping deadlines. We’d go one further and say you should opt for curbside if possible, so that you are guaranteed to get the gift on time. While you’re hunting for bargains, no cost savings are worth the hassle of it not arriving in time to put under the tree. And don’t forget to stock up on wrapping paper and ribbons or bows, else you’ll be delayed yet again.
And it’s worth mentioning that many major retailers have extended return periods for the holiday season. Amazon purchases through 12/31 can be returned until January 31, except for Apple devices purchased between 11/1 and 12/31 which can be returned by January 15. Best Buy will accept returns on anything purchased before 12/30 until January 13. After December 30 it reverts to the usual 15 days after purchase. And Apple purchases from now until December 25 can be returned before January 13.
** (Disclaimer: This video content is intended for educational and informational purposes only) **
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