The holidays are just around the corner, and as usual, there will be last-minute shoppers. Your holiday prep probably started earlier than usual this year — probably in March! There has been a sharp increase in e-commerce traffic in 2020 and this increase is cresting with the holiday shopping season. And with this wave of holiday shopping battering e-commerce sellers, it’s inevitable that the last-minute shoppers that typically do a mad dash through the mall will also turn online.
All of your planning that you have put into place for the holiday rush is really going to be put to the test during this home stretch. Knowing consumer expectations and your timelines for getting these December purchases to customers on time is a great way to avoid holiday returns and grow your customer base. Here are some ways to help you prepare for those last-minute shoppers:
Help Customers Verify Addresses
Making sure that your customers include the correct addresses is doubly important for late shoppers in 2020. In years past, buyers would travel with their presents, but 2020 has more gifts sent to the final recipient (this is also an instance where offering gift-wrapping could pay off). But this increases the risk of improperly entered shipping addresses. And with less time to reroute parcels, you may be looking at returned orders. Using a shipping platform that verifies the addresses can cut down on headaches later.
Prepare for Returns
Instore returns have dropped a bit this year. ShipStation found that 67% of consumers are less likely to complete a return in stores for a foreseeable future. However, returns are still popular. In fact, ShipStation also found that 86% of consumers say that ease of returns is a major factor when making a final purchase. As with everything else moving more online in 2020, returns have too, so expect to start 2021 off with customers exploring return or exchange options.
Incentivize Exchanges
Customers can be incentivized to exchange. Offering coupons for exchanges are a good way to avoid entire refunds. Furthermore, exchanging an undesired gift for the right item can grow your customer base further.
How Customers Prefer Returns
In the same poll, ShipStation found that consumers have preferred methods of initiating returns to sellers. If any of these methods work for your business, here is how they are preferred:
- Free returns remain the most important factor for returns, though it is down slightly from years past.
- Customers prefer initiating a return to be as easy as placing an order. Features like a self-service returns portal make this easier.
- Including prepaid returns in the box are also popular. This can be tricky to offer and generally comes down to customers not wanting to print a label.
Understand Consumer Expectations around Shipping
In addition to returns, COVID-19 has reshaped what customers want from shipping. To stay in tune with your customers, check out ShipStation’s Last Touch, Lasting Impact ebook to know what your customers expect from online retailers.
Know Your Carrier’s Deadlines
With the pandemic tightening its grip on supply chains, less international commercial flights that many carriers use to ship parcels, and an increase in online orders, it is no surprise that shipping deadlines average an extra business day for orders to reach their final destinations over years past. Here are some of the major carrier anticipated holiday shipping deadlines in the coming weeks for the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
US Holiday Shipping Deadlines
USPS
| Service | Shipping Cutoff Date |
| Retail Ground™ | Tuesday, December 15th, 2020 |
| First Class Mail® | Friday, December 18th, 2020 |
| Priority Mail® | Saturday, December 19th, 2020 |
| Priority Mail Express® | Wednesday, December 23rd, 2020 |
For USPS’s international shipping deadlines, head here.
FedEx
| Service | Shipping Cutoff Date |
| FedEx SmartPost® | Wednesday, December 9th, 2020* |
| FedEx Ground® | Tuesday, December 15th, 2020 |
| Home Delivery® | Tuesday, December 15th, 2020 |
| Express Saver® | Monday, December 21st, 2020 |
| 2Day® Services | Tuesday, December 22nd, 2020 |
| Overnight® Services | Wednesday, December 23rd, 2020 |
For FedEx’s international shipping deadlines, head here.
*Exceptions may apply
UPS
| Service | Shipping Cutoff Date |
| Ground® | Tuesday, December 15th, 2020 |
| 3 Day Select® | Monday, December 21st, 2020 |
| 2nd Day Air® Services | Tuesday, December 22nd, 2020 |
| Next Day Air® Services | Wednesday, December 23rd, 2020 |
For UPS’s international shipping deadlines, head here.
Canada Holiday Shipping Deadlines
Canada Post
Canada Post is not offering delivery guarantees for the 2020 holiday season. For the most up-to-date shipping deadlines, visit the Canada Post delivery tools
Purolator
| Destination | Send by |
| Next Day Delivery to Canada or US | Tuesday, December 22nd, 2020 |
| Mexico, Caribbean, South and Central America, Western Europe [including the United Kingdom, France and Germany], Australia | Friday, December 18th, 2020 |
| East Asia [including China, Japan and Thailand] | Thursday, December 17th, 2020 |
| United States via Purolator Ground® | Tuesday, December 15th, 2020 |
| Eastern Europe, Africa, South Asia and the Middle East | Friday, December 11th, 2020 |
For more information on Purolator’s shipping deadlines, head here.
FedEx
| Service | Shipping Cutoff Date |
| FedEx Overnight® Services | Wednesday, December 23rd, 2020* |
| FedEx 2Day® | Tuesday, December 22nd, 2020* |
| FedEx Economy® | Monday, December 21st, 2020* |
| FedEx Ground® | Monday, December 15th, 2020 |
For information on FedEx Canada’s international deadlines, head here.
*Allow 1-3 additional days when shipping from western provinces to Atlantic provinces (includes Thunder Bay and surrounding areas).
CanPar
| Origin | Send by |
| BC | Dec 11th-23rd, 2020* |
| AB | Dec 14th-23rd, 2020* |
| SK | Dec 14th-23rd, 2020* |
| MB | Dec 15th-23rd, 2020* |
| ON | Dec 17th-23rd, 2020* |
| QC | Dec 17th-23rd, 2020* |
| NB/NS/PEI | Dec 16th-23rd, 2020* |
| NFLD | Dec 11th-22nd, 2020* |
Australia Holiday Shipping Deadlines
AUSTRALIA POST DOMESTIC SERVICES FROM METRO AREAS*
| Service | Latest Posting Dates |
| Express eParcel | 18-23 December |
| Parcel Post | 11-19 December |
For a full list of Australia Post’s final post-by dates, click here.
Sendle
| Service | Latest Posting Dates |
| Express eParcel | 18-23 December |
| Parcel Post | 11-19 December |
CouriersPlease
For CouriesPlease’s shipping deadlines click here.
Aramex Post-By Dates
For Aramex’s shipping deadlines click here.
UK Holiday Shipping Deadlines
Royal Mail Domestic Services
| Service | Last Posting Date |
| 2nd Class; Royal Mail Signed For® 2nd Class | Friday 18 December 2020 |
| 1st Class; Royal Mail Signed For® 1st Class | Monday 21 December 2020 |
| Royal Mail Tracked 48® | Monday 21 December 2020 |
| Royal Mail Tracked 24® | Tuesday 22 December 2020 |
| Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed® | Wednesday 23 December 2020 |
ParcelForce
| Service | Last Posting Date |
| Timed Services
Express 9, Express 10, Express AM, Express PM |
Send by Wednesday 23 December 2020 |
| Next Day Services
Express 24 |
Send by Wednesday 23 December 2020 |
| Two Day Services
Express 48, Express 48 Large |
Send by Tuesday 22 December 2020 |
Hermes
| Service | Last Posting Date |
| Last day for courier collection | Saturday 19 December 2020 |
| Last day for Standard Parcelshop drop-off | Monday 21 December at 12:00 pm |
| Last day for Next Day Parcelshop drop-off | Tuesday 22 December at 12:00 pm |
DPD
For DPD domestic parcels, the last collection date for delivery before Christmas Day would be Wednesday 23rd December 2020. Parcels collected on Wednesday 23rd December would be due for delivery on Thursday 24th December.
For more UK carriers and their shipping deadlines, head here.
