How to Beat Holiday Shipping Delays & Get Packages on Time

There’s nothing worse than the holiday order panic. We’ve all been there. You need gifts, you look at how many days are left until your gift exchange, and you start to sweat. Did I leave enough time for shipping? Can I just regift something? My toaster? Who wants a used toaster?? Breathe. This holiday season, we’re helping you figure out exactly when to order, what to order first, issues to look out for, and how to beat the holiday shipping delays we all dread. We’ll give you all the smart holiday shopping tips so you (and your toaster) can relax and enjoy the season. 

When Should You Order Holiday Gifts?

First things first, let’s cover order deadlines. Depending on when you need your order, you’ll have a final date you can purchase by to receive it on time. If you want personalized gifts for customers, employees, or an event by Christmas, you’d need to order from pens.com by December 10. Every company will be different, so check out the order deadlines from each place you plan to buy from.  

What Gifts Should You Order First?

Gifts with your personalized touch take extra care to make. If you want custom gifts that are sure to bring a smile, it’s always a good idea to get your orders in early. Planning ahead is key with smart holiday shopping. That way, we can make and ship them as fast as possible. There are some things you’ll want to order sooner than others. Check out our list of items to order early: 

• Calendars: Calendars are the perfect gift to give so recipients can start their year off right. While you can give a custom calendar at any time, these gifts work best just before the start of a new year. That means you’ll want to place your custom calendar orders in advance of the holidays to make sure they get there on time.
• Holiday Cards: A holiday card after the holidays just isn’t the same. Make sure to order your personalized season’s greeting in time to greet the season.

Will the Supply Chain Affect Holiday Deliveries?

There are certainly more issues impacting holiday deliveries this year than in previous years. While holiday delays are nothing new, some delivery challenges are. If you’ve watched the news recently, you’ve probably heard the phrase “supply chain issues” at least once. And that’s a complicated problem.  

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to employee shortages across industries, which is particularly an obstacle for warehouses, delivery services, and ports. This has caused difficulties in everything from manufacturing products to getting them offloaded at ports. Each company has their own supply network and will be impacted differently. So the main message of this recurring headline is: Order what you need as early as possible. 

2021 Is the Year to Buy Items Made in America

One way to circumvent some of those holiday shipping delays listed above is to buy products that have been made in the USA. These items don’t have to go through ports, making them easier to get to your door. We always like to highlight our Made in the USA items, so you can enjoy that collection all year long. A few of our best-selling items that are made in America, include:  

• Design Wrap Contour Pen: This pen is fully customizable! You can add your own art or choose from ours. We’ve got over 99 stock art templates to select from, and plenty of holiday designs if you want to spread the cheer with customers.
• Full Color 16 oz. Nina Stemless Plastic Wine Glass: Need a fun way to toast the new year? These bright-colored stemless wine glasses are the perfect gift to help customers and employees celebrate.
• Reflections Wall Calendar: For a promotion that gets you noticed every day of the year, put your logo or branding printed on this scenic calendar.

Whatever you choose to gift, following these smart holiday shopping tips will help you to avoid those pesky holiday shipping delays. And if your holidays include personalized gifts from Pens.com, you can be sure that once you order, we’ll work as quickly as possible to deliver everything you need to spread the cheer with clients and employees. To see what gifts are popular this year, check out our Holiday Gift Guide.