There’s Still Time for Holiday-Shopping Slackers

Attention shoppers. Order today online, and we’ll get your package delivered before Christmas using standard shipping.

As reported in the Dec. 18th New York Times, thanks to the growth in e-commerce, shippers and online retailers are getting more efficient in their handling and delivery of holiday packages, so much so that they are now able to offer those holiday-shopping procrastinators extra days to order online and still receive standard shipping rates.

For instance, shipper U.P.S. has shaved off minutes from their delivery times by re-mapping delivery routes to avoid left-hand turns.

Online retailers, according to the article, are using technology to streamline their own product handling.

Consequently, at many online stores, you still can order today, Dec. 19th, and have your items shipped ‘standard’ in time for the holidays.

That’s a far cry from the horror stories that came out of the holiday season of 1999, when packages ordered online arrived very late.

As the NYT reports, by using technology to streamline the entire online shopping process, online retailers are helping those of us who have yet to start shopping, and in doing so, they are taking away business from the malls and other offline merchants.

The good news is, you still have time—more than 30 online retailers will still guarantee shipping for orders placed yet today.

So stop reading this and get shopping online!

Happy holidays.