Holiday Shipping Deadlines 2022: What to do before and after

The holidays are approaching and while it’s a period of joy and fun for many, it also brings the usual seasonal shipping and logistics challenges to ecommerce merchants. Online shopping is generally on the uptake, packages are mailed to loved ones, and customers are often anxiously stalking the date of their long-awaited package’s arrival. These weeks leading up to the holidays can be stressful, so it is important to stay informed and strategize. 

In the hopes of easing holiday stress, we’ve created a list of holiday shipping deadlines to help all of our merchants and their customers to stay in the know. Included are deadlines from major couriers in the United States, Canada, and the UK. It is crucial to communicate these deadlines to have a successful and stress-free holiday season. 


However, the opportunities to engage your customers and make those all important holiday sales doesn’t end when those deadlines pass. Then comes your chance to push more on digital gift products, and help your customers stay on top of gift buying even when they can’t get a physical product. So, we’ve also included some tips for how you can make the most of the holidays even when those last packages leave your warehouse. 


Deadlines: 


Please note that this is not an exhaustive list and only dates that are yet to pass are included. It is also important to check with your local courier if there is uncertainty surrounding shipping. 


United States Parcel Service (UPS):


U.S. Domestic 

UPS Ground Shipping

https://wwwapps.ups.com/calTimeCost?loc=en_US

UPS 3 Day Select 

Dec. 20

UPS 2nd Day Air Services 

Dec. 21

UPS Next Day Air Services 

Dec. 22


U.S. to Canada

UPS Standard Services 

https://wwwapps.ups.com/calTimeCost?loc=en_US

UPS Worldwide Expedited 

Dec. 19

UPS Worldwide Express Services 

Dec. 22



U.S. to Mexico 

UPS Standard Services 

https://wwwapps.ups.com/calTimeCost?loc=en_US

UPS Worldwide Expedited 

Dec. 19

UPS Worldwide Express Services 

Dec. 21



United States Postal Service (USPS):


2022 Holiday Shipping Dates for Contiguous U.S. (Lower 48 States)

USPS Retail Ground Services 

Dec. 17

First-Class Mail Service

Dec. 17

Priority Mail Service

Dec. 19

Priority Mail Express Service

Dec. 23


2022 Holiday Shipping Dates for Alaska & Hawaii

First-Class Mail Service

Priority Mail Service 

Priority Mail Express Service 

USPS Retail Ground Service 

Alaska

Dec. 17

Dec. 17

Dec. 21

Dec. 2

Hawaii

Dec. 17

Dec. 17

Dec. 21

N/A


2022 Holiday Shipping Dates for International Mail 

Destination 

First-Class Package International Service 

Priority Mail International Service 

Priority Mail Express International Service 

Global Express Guaranteed Service 

Africa

Nov. 29

Nov. 29

Dec. 6

Dec. 20

Asia/Pacific Rim

Dec. 6

Dec. 6

Dec. 13

Dec. 20

Australia/New Zealand 

Dec. 6

Dec. 6

Dec. 13

Dec. 20

Canada

Dec. 6

Dec. 6

Dec. 13

Dec. 22

Caribbean 

Dec. 6

Dec. 6

Dec. 13

Dec. 21

Central & South America 

Nov. 29

Nov. 29

Dec. 6

Dec. 20

Europe 

Dec. 6

Dec. 6

Dec. 13

Dec. 21

Mexico 

Dec. 6

Dec. 6 

Dec. 13

Dec. 22

Middle East 

Dec. 6

Dec. 6

Dec. 13

Dec. 20


2022 Holiday Shipping Deadlines for Military Mail

Addressed To

USPS Retail Ground Service 

First-Class Mail Service 

Priority Mail Service 

Priority Mail Express Military Service (PMEMS)

APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 090-092

Nov. 5

Dec. 9

Dec. 9

Dec. 16

APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 093

Nov. 5

Dec. 9

Dec. 9

N/A

APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 094-099

Nov. 5

Dec. 9

Dec. 9

Dec. 16

APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 340

Nov. 5

Dec. 9

Dec. 9

Dec. 16

APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 962-966

Nov. 5

Dec. 9

Dec. 9

Dec. 16


Federal Express Corporation (FedEx): 


United States to United States:

Fedex Express

Dec. 20 - 23 (Same Day)

FedEx Ground

Dec. 8 (Ground Economy) or Dec. 14

FedEx Freight

Dec. 8 (Freight Economy) or Dec. 14


International: 

U.S. to Canada

Dec. 15 - 23 (Next Flight)

U.S. to Canada Ground

Dec. 12 - 14

U.S. to Mexico

Dec 20 - 23 (Next Flight)

U.S. to Puerto Rico

Dec. 20 - 23 (Next Flight)



Royal Mail (UK):


Royal Mail Bulk Mail Economy

Dec. 16

2nd Class Mail

Dec. 19

1st Class Mail

Dec. 21

Special Delivery Guaranteed

Dec. 22


Deutsche Post:


Due to the ongoing coronavirus situation and other events that are impacting transportation, the deadlines for Deutsche Post vary. Please see here for more information and frequently asked questions. 


Canada Post:


Priority 

Xpresspost

Expedited Rate or Flat rate box

Regular Parcel

Local Zone

Dec. 22

Dec. 22

Dec. 21

Dec. 20

Regional Zone

Dec. 21 

Dec. 21

Dec. 19-21

Dec. 16-20

National Zone

Dec. 21

Dec. 21

Dec. 13-20

Dec. 9-19


What to do before shipping deadlines pass

 

In the time leading up to these dates, there are many things merchants can do to make their customers aware of the approaching deadlines. Regular communication is essential, as it will help to avoid any disappointed customers and therefore reduce pressure on your customer support team from dealing with said customers.


Give customers a heads up on deadlines by adding them to any email campaigns sent in the run-up to the holidays. This can be as simple as a link to your FAQ which details these deadlines, or you can segment your audience based on region to give them the exact deadline that applies to them. This will help to reduce abandoned carts, as well as the number of enquiries to your team about whether or not an order will arrive on time.


Next, add deadlines to any automated customer support tools you may offer. For example if you have an on-site chat bot, add information about deadlines and shipping to their first response, or as an option for the customer to select. If you have an automated response to email or contact form enquiries, make sure the information about deadlines is included within that response. 


Finally, clearly display deadlines on your site in a way that customers will immediately notice as they navigate through your site. This can be done using a site banner, or as even on the cart page and during the checkout process. That way, a customer won’t have to go through finding a product, deciding to buy it, and then finding out it won’t even arrive on time.


One thing you can and should do in the days before shipping deadlines is communicate the gift options you have available that are not subject to those deadlines. Oftentimes when these deadlines pass, customers turn to gift cards. So, promoting these sooner rather than later increases awareness ahead of time. Along with gift cards, gift subscriptions can also be a welcome solution to customers looking for an interesting gift that doesn’t require shipping.


What to do after shipping deadlines pass 


After shipping deadlines have passed, communication with your customers is still the top priority. Start with letting any potential customers coming to your site know that deadlines have passed by updating your site banner. Here you can also provide a link to your gift cards, so customers have a quick and easy way to purchase them. On your homepage, you can also link to digital gift products, highlighting in text and images that these are gifts customers can buy right up until the day they’re due. 


As for email, you can start targeting any abandoned carts from the days around your deadlines as well as any customers who have browsed your gift products. This can be as simple as reminding them of your digital gift products, with links to gift guides as something to pass on to their recipient. This should include not just your gift cards, but also gift subscriptions if you offer them as these can also be delivered at any time. 


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The holidays bring with them as many challenges as they do joy for merchants and customers. Knowing shipping deadlines and planning for the days leading up to them and the days after them are crucial to cultivating a smooth holiday experience.

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