Holiday Shipping From Rockford? Here Are The Deadlines

Okay, you're probably getting a little nervous in anticipation of sending out holiday gifts to those people on the radio in your life that you love so much. In today's world, you want to make sure you've got all your shipping dates firmed up. It's only October, but it pays to be ready.

Having holiday gifts show up late is one thing we all want to avoid, just like finding ourselves in line at the last minute with 100 other people all trying to get our packages sent. Two things your holiday season can do without.

It's Not Like Previous Years, Because Some Delivery Companies Have New "Service Standards"

Extra time may be especially important given the Postal Service's new "service standards," rolled out earlier this month. The new standards, by the USPS's own admission, will result in slower mail delivery and higher prices at the post office. That may not hold true for the entire country, but some areas will definitely notice a slow-down.

With COVID-19 Around For Another Year, Even More People Plan To Shop Online

According to a study at DealAid.org, 94.2% of consumers plan to shop online during the 2021 holiday shopping season, while 54.7% of consumers plan to shop in-store. Also, on average, Americans plan to spend a total of $974 during holiday shopping season in 2021. That's a 4.7% increase compared to 2020.

Here Are The Shipping Deadlines You'll Need To Know This Holiday Season

If you want your gifts delivered by December 25th, here are the dates you'll need to know from the Postal Service:

• USPS Retail Ground: Wednesday, Dec. 15
• First-Class Mail: Friday, Dec. 17
• Priority Mail: Saturday, Dec. 18
• USPS Priority Mail Express: Thursday, Dec. 23

From UPS:

• UPS Ground Shipping: Monday, Dec. 20
• UPS 3 Day Select: Tuesday, Dec. 21
• UPS 2nd Day Air: Wednesday, Dec. 22
• UPS Next Day Air: Thursday, Dec. 23

And, from FedEx:

• FedEx Ground/Home Delivery: Wednesday, Dec. 15
• FedEx Express Saver: Tuesday, Dec. 21
• FedEx 2Day: Wednesday, Dec. 22
• FedEx Overnight: Thursday, Dec. 23