Many retailers’ final Christmas order dates are earlier this year
A number of major retailers are clawing back their online Christmas order deadlines this year, the international delivery expert ParcelHero has revealed; as it brings back its popular online stores’ Christmas booking dates tool.
ParcelHero’s head of consumer research, David Jinks MILT, says: ‘Last year many retailers were absolutely pushing final Christmas delivery dates down to the wire to cater for the thousands of online last-minute Christmas shoppers. The likes of Amazon, Argos and ASOS even took orders on Christmas Eve. This year our research shows retailers rowing back from last Christmas’s last-ditch final deadlines. ASOS has told us its final deadline is 22nd December this year, rather than last year’s Christmas Eve same-day delivery. Next has pulled back from the 22nd to the 20th of December, as has Harrods; Body Shop has rowed all the way back to the 19th December from the 21st last year; and Zara told us that its final deadline this year is 18th December, a full five days back from last year’s deadline of the 23rd.’
Says David: ‘In the last few years we’ve grown used to seeing final order dates inch forwards a little more every Christmas. This year our Christmas deadline tool reveals deadlines have gone into reverse. It’s possibly a reflection of the troubles that can hit retailers’ supply chains at their peak period of the year. By pushing forward their final order date retailers have left themselves open to not getting presents delivered in time for Christmas Day: the ultimate retail sin. Some retailers may be thinking it’s simply not worth the risk of having orders cancelled because the gifts missed the big day. Why risk upsetting and alienating previously loyal customers?’
Here’s five retailers who will be appearing on Santa’s Naughty List this Christmas for reducing final order times:
The Naughty List:
ASOS 22nd December – from 24th in 2018
Bodyshop 19th December – from 21st
Harrods 20th December – from 22nd
Next 20th December – from 22nd
Zara 18th December – from 23rd
But David says not every retailer is pulling back on Christmas deadlines.‘Some retailers are clearly channelling the spirit of Rudolf and pushing dates are far forward as they can to mop up every last-minute order. In fact. some have made big leaps: Debenhams has stepped up to the plate with a new deadline of the 23rd of December, instead of the 21st as last year. Even more remarkably, online retailer Firebox and High Street favourite Gap have both pushed their final online order dates forward a full five days, from the 18th to the 23rd.
Here’s five retailers who will be appearing on the Santa’s Nice List this Christmas for giving consumers the longest ordering period:
The Nice List:
Debenhams 23rd December – from 21st in 2018
Firebox 23rd December – from 18th
Gap 23rd December – from 18th
John Lewis 23rd December – from 22nd
The White Company 22nd December – from 20th
Concludes David: ‘Some retailers actually revise their final order dates during December, depending on how much stock is left and how their supply chain is coping. For example, shortly before Christmas last year ASOS stretched its final deadline from the 23rd to the 24th of December to meet late demand, and Boden revised its final order date all the way from the 18th to the 23rd. We expect to see ASOS’ final date revisited again this December as the pressure rises to give shoppers last minute orders. That’s why our online deadline tool is live and constantly updated. While we don’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. But don’t forget, not everything will still be in stock on the 23rd, even if a store is still delivering!’
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
