Time is starting to run out to get any gifts or other packages shipped out before Christmas arrives next Saturday.
Wednesday marked the deadline recommended by the United States Postal Service and FedEx to ship out gifts by ground delivery so you can have them in time for Dec. 25, but there is still time to make sure your friends, family or loved ones get that special present this holiday season.
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"We are starting to hit deadlines for west coast [arrivals] being after Christmas," said Andy Nyhart - President of Lind-Hart Mini Ship in Hamburg. "The 16th, which is Thursday, [packages] tentatively going to the west coast probably end up being there the day after Christmas. All the carriers - UPS, FedEx, the post office - all seemed to have honed in on Dec. 15 being the last day to ship to get your stuff there before Christmas, but at the same time, it doesn't mean that your gifts going locally or regionally will be late."
Many carriers still have different options available to its customers to get packages shipped out in time for them to arrive at their destination before Christmas. One option that is common with the U.S. Postal Service is priority mail shipping, which includes tracking and delivery in 1-3 business days.
However, in Nyhart's experience with his network of 5,000 stores across the country, priority mail is usually seen as just an estimate for when a package may arrive to its destination.
"They are doing much better than in years past, but they are still in the category of 'you hope it gets there by Christmas,'" Nyhart said. "The price may be more affordable than your UPS or FedEx, but you are guessing on when it will actually get delivered."
Supply chain issues continue to be a talking point in recent weeks with goods being log-jammed at ports across the globe, as well as truck drivers being in short order to transport the goods.
One way people are trying to get around the supply chain issues is by buying local and then shipping out those gifts to places around the country.
"The supply chain may be clogged up on being able to order stuff online, but if you're able to find it locally - it seems that a lot of people have - they've been able to wrap it up real nice and bring it to us to be able to ship it out with their other gifts to get there on time," Nyhart said.
While some people are not too worried about their packages being shipped out in a timely fashion, there certainly have been issues with others making sure they not only get packages to their location on time, but also getting other gifts in time to send out to before Christmas.
"Last year there were supply chain issues and with COVID being a little bit heavy, people were really looking to connect with each other with gifts. This year now with the supply chain being backlogged, there are a lot of people that are coming in saying they're still waiting on a gift to come in for them to get out, or they're not able to get a gift until a certain time," Nyhart said. "Certainly that frustration we've seen come through."
On top of packages not getting from one location to another on time this holiday season, the other frustrations lie in the fact that the cost of everything continues to rise.
"With everybody needing to try to find people to work and everybody needing to pay people more, it's just a big circle of everybody's going to have to pay a little bit more to get their product, everybody's going to have to pay a little bit more to get their shipping. It's just that circle until we get to a healthy balance where people are comfortable," Nyhart said. "I think a lot of people, if anything other than the supply chain, it is a little bit more getting used to that sticker price. But it is something that across the board - grocery stuff, gifts, shipping - they are incrementally getting a little bit more [expensive]."
So how can people find relief in getting their packages shipped out in time, while also trying to save a buck?
"Our suggestion always is to bring it to us and allow us to find you the best box that fits what you need to ship," Nyhart said. "We're not going to say to people that you shouldn't use boxes, there are some risks of that nature, but the biggest thing is you want to be able to pay for the right size. If you pay for something that's a bit bigger, you're going to be paying more than you needed to.
"We found we were able to take a customer that was shipping three packages to one location, put it into one box, and save them substantially - from $20-$50 doing it that way."
Nyhart also suggests to know your shipping options, and understand what it's taking for some carriers to get their packages from Point A to Point B. He does mention that some carriers this year have been exceeding expectations with shipping their goods, including UPS, who have been getting their packages to people ahead of schedule in some cases.
"[You can] come to a store like ours that is able to look at what the other carriers have for transit times," Nyhart said.
"It's really important to be able to know who you're going to ship with so that you know they're going to take care of you from the onset. If there is any issue during transit, then you can call somebody that's more local that's going to feel your pain and do everything they can to help you. [Whereas] the other option would be you're calling a 1-800 number and hoping somebody is going to be there to get your back."
You can listen to our entire conversation with Nyhart below:
