The United States Postal Service has already
announced its holiday shipping deadlines. Dec.
15 is the cutoff for retail ground shipping in the
contiguous U.S. for delivery before Christmas.
You can expect major retailers to advertise a
similar date.
Sometimes, specific products are backordered
or have shipping estimates that differ from the
overall website. Always pay attention to notes
about the product as well as the estimated
delivery date when you’re navigating the online
checkout process.
If you don’t want to cut it too close, you could
always shop in person at a local small business
instead. And if something you ordered doesn’t
arrive when expected, consider taking a picture
of the gift and giving that as a place holder for the
forthcoming physical product.
BUY A GIFT CARD
While gift cards aren’t the most personal gift, they
may be the most practical gift of 2021.
“If there’s any year to give a gift card, this is it,” says
Darrin Duber-Smith , senior lecturer of marketing
at Metropolitan State University of Denver.
Gift cards allow for digital delivery,
which can circumvent shipping logistics
completely. And there’s little to no risk of a
gift card being out of stock.
But while gift cards and certificates will be less of
a headache for the gift giver, they could present
limitations for the recipient — particularly if empty
shelves persist into January. Those you give gift
cards to might have to hang onto them for a while
before cashing them in.