Why you don't want to wait until the last minute to do holiday shopping this year
The holidays are going to be a lot different this year, and that includes how we shop and how we get gifts to our loved ones.
You've heard it said many times already. Start your shopping early this year, and there is a good reason for that.
With the pandemic still going on, 90% of shoppers say they will use the internet to buy gifts this year.
Half of those shoppers say they will do most of their shopping online.
With all that internet buying, the shipping industry is going to be put to the test.
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It is estimated that demand will outpace delivery services by about 5%. While that does not sound bad, that means the transportation system may not be able to handle delivering hundreds of millions of goods worldwide.
You do not want your gift stuck in a warehouse so, yes, getting an early start is very important this year.
"All the ground deadlines for USPS, for FedEx, for their ground services are Dec.15. I certainly wouldn't recommend bumping right up against those. So for comfort, I'd say that first week in December make sure the purchases are on their way in somebody's truck," said Barbara Stewart with Global Retailing and Consumer Science at the University of Houston.
SEE ALSO: Forget Black Friday: Retailers push for earlier holiday shopping amid COVID pandemic
If you wait much past the first week in December, you may be faced with having to pay for expedited shipping.
Don't forget to search the web for free shipping codes. You might be able to save some cash that way.
