ROYAL OAK, Mich. (WXYZ) — Shoppers are being asked to brace for shipping delays this holiday season with less people doing in person shopping, more will be leaning on the convenience of online retail. Experts predict many of those extra packages won't make it on time.
"I would say that this definitely a lookie-loo shop," said Made in the Mitten owner Colleen McClue.
It’s hard not to be smitten with Royal Oak’s Made in the Mitten. The retail store specializing in Michigan themed gifts, clothing and art.
"This is somewhere that you come, you want to take your time, there’s thousands of products and skews in here," said McClue.
Bet you’d guess COVID-19 really put a cork in that past time but what owner Colleen McClue couldn’t sell in person, she could sell online.
"Prior to the pandemic, we weren’t shipping too many things," said McClue. "Now that this happened, primarily most of our business is online."
Now sales are increasing in a big way.
"We saw a 2000% increase in online sales versus the year before," said McClue. "We ship every day, at least ten packages a day."
Merely a snapshot of the demand retailers both local, and nationwide are expecting heading into a one of kind holiday shopping season. This season, seven million more packages are expected to be delivered per day between Thanksgiving and Christmas - that's a 28-day period that boils down to 196 million extra packages.
Experts have already called the phenomenon, "shippageddon." Retailers have been shipping at holiday levels since March, so with the holiday rush in the mix. I think it definitely can be a perfect storm for more delays.
How delayed can we expect deliveries to be?
"This is a really unprecedented and unpredictable holiday shopping season so no one can really anticipate what we’re going to see in three or four or five weeks. That’s why experts like Sara Skirboll, from Retail Me Not, say to get started right away.
Many in Metro Detroit are heeding the advice, a Twitter survey showing over 50% of you have at least started your holiday shopping.
On Facebook, Myra says, 'waiting for one more shipment and everyone will be gifted',
While Nancy tells us she’s ‘been done completely for two weeks.’
Retailers from Walmart to Target say they are beefing up personnel in warehouse and order fulfillment to meet the demand - while beefing up alternatives!
"When it comes to buy online pick-up curbside- you’re going to see a lot of extra incentive and promotion around that service," said Skirboll.
Here’s the Rebound Rundown:
- The ship by date for ground delivery on USPS and Fed ex is December 15th
- For UPS ground, ship by December 11th
- All major delivery servicers will not deliver on Christmas day
Amazon, Fed Ex, and UPS all offer real time delivery updates through your phone. Sign up is free. You can even arrange to have gifts sent to an alternative location helping you ward off porch pirates or the prying eyes of the kids inside.