MHW Magazine News and stories from the Materials Handling Industry
How late do you leave Christmas shopping? The home delivery comparison site ParcelHero says shoppers take after one of three favourite festive fowls when it comes to Christmas deadlines; and reveals all the major store’s final online order dates.
How late dare shoppers leave last-minute online Christmas ordering? The delivery comparison site ParcelHero says our attitude to Christmas shopping deadlines mimics one of three types of birds popular at Christmas – which type are you?
Says ParcelHero’s Head of Consumer Relations, David Jinks MILT (pictured): ‘We’ve spotted there are three distinct types of Christmas shopper who all place their online orders at different times, some leaving it till the very last minute; that’s why we have bought back our hugely popular online tool revealing the final order dates for most of the UK’s major online retailers. Shoppers are either turkeys, chickens or partridges, when faced with Christmas online ordering deadlines. How can you tell which festive fowl you are most like?
‘Partridges have their gifts sorted in the first days of Christmas shopping, just like the words of the old song. They will ensure their true love gets that perfect present by buying early, and are top of the pecking order when it comes to being the most organised shoppers. A bird in the hand is definitely worth two in the bush for Christmas partridges.
‘Chickens are happy to play chicken and deliberately hold out waiting for those online bargains. Those stores who failed to sell all their goods over the cyber weekend don’t want them unsold after Christmas and often run flash sales in the run up to Christmas. Unlike their namesakes, these chickens keep their heads during the run into the Christmas period.
‘Turkeys, in contrast, never vote for Christmas. They put off buying gifts as late as possible: either because they are uncertain what they want to buy or just don’t have the time to think about it. They have to gobble up whatever remains: which means often their gifts will be a complete turkey. And unlike in America, where the President traditionally pardons a turkey at this time of year, they may not be pardoned by their loved ones as easily!’
Observes David: ‘There’s an astonishing difference between the Christmas last order dates for many of the nation’s favourite stores which may well catch out those turkeys and chickens who leave things just too long. Our deadline tool reveals Gap, Evans Cycles, Dell and The Conran Shop have all told us their final deadline for orders is 17 December; that’s over a week away from Christmas. By the time those turkeys come to shop online, it will be too late to buy from these stores. In contrast last year Amazon, Argos and Net-a-Porter all offered Christmas ordering right up to Christmas Eve itself in some areas. Even hardened chickens will know its finally time to jump on those last-minute bargains by then!’
Here’s ParcelHero’s Amazon to Zara list of Christmas deadlines:
Amazon: 24th (13 cities around the UK)
Argos: 24th
ASOS: 23rd
Boden: 18th
Body Shop: 21st
Ann Summers: 18th
Currys: 23rd
Disney Shop: 23rd
Debenhams: 21st
Dell: 17th
Evans Cycles: 17th
Harrods: 22nd
Harvey Nichols: 18th
Jigsaw: 21st
John Lewis: 22nd
Liberty: 21st
M&S: 22nd (not food)
Net a Porter: 24th
Next: 21st
Paul Smith: 20th
PC World: 23rd
The White Company: 23rd
Urban Outfitters: 21st
Warehouse: 21st
Zara: 23rd
Concludes David: ‘While we wouldn’t want to encourage last-minute shopping, because of the risk of gifts missing Christmas Day, we think it’s best to make sure shoppers are fully informed of the cut-off dates for placing orders. It’s true that some bargains do pop up very near Christmas, so it’s not always the early birds who get the best worms, but we advise consumers not to think that everything will still be in stock on the 23rd. Never count your chickens until they are hatched.’
See ParcelHero’s live full list of store final order dates and last parcel mailing dates at https://www.parcelhero.com/events/christmas-gifts-delivery
