Retailers making last minute delivery changes

It says many retailers are now advising standard delivery times of up to 14 days, scrapping express delivery options and making their final order dates for Christmas even earlier.

The following stores have brought forward their Christmas final order dates:

• Agent Provocateur: 21 December back from 23 December
• Disney Stores/Shop Disney: 22 December back from 23 December
• Evans Cycles: 17 December back from 23 December
• Jigsaw: 22 December back from 23 December (no express option)
• Topshop: 21 December back from 23 December (no express option, in receivership)
• The White Company: 21 December from 23 December

Several stores stores are taking further action:

• Cath Kidston has suspended next-day deliveries
• New Look says to check delivery times when you place an order as ‘delivery times are subject to change during our busy periods.’
• Superdry is quoting two delivery times, depending on whether it is sourcing items from its UK or Belgian warehouses
• Topshop has suspended ‘express to home’ and ‘express to parcel shop’ services following administration
• Urban Outfitters is warning of transit times of up to 10 days on standard shipping near Christmas
• The White Company warned us of potential delivery times of up to 14 days on standard shipping near Christmas and has suspended next-day deliveries

ParcelHero’s Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks MILT says: “Due to Covid, Christmas was always going to stretch retailers and their delivery partners. Last year, 387 million of the 462 million Christmas peak deliveries were online shopping orders. This year, retailers’ deliveries alone will put an estimated 592 million parcels in the system in the weeks before Christmas. That’s in addition to all the parcels people are sending to their friends and relations during lockdown.

“Given the strain on delivery services already, we won’t be at all surprised if many more retailers change to even earlier final order dates as Christmas nears. That’s why our continually updated Christmas deadlines tool is so useful for keeping shoppers in the know with all their favourite retailers’ final order dates.”

Check the retailers’ final order and final mailing dates tool here.