7 On Your Side warns of holiday 'Shipageddon' due to pandemic
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Between the pandemic keeping a lot of us at home and the holidays, retailers are worried about "Shipageddon", a crush of orders which could cripple shippers and keep them from delivering on time.
More than seven million holiday packages will be shipped each day. That's three times more than last year.
The best advice is to plan ahead. Black Friday deals have already dropped if you know what you want.
RELATED: 7 On Your Side's best bets for Black Friday shopping
Shop and ship early, the sooner the better.
Hannukah is in two weeks, December 10-18.
Ground shipping deadlines for Christmas usually fall between December 15-19, and that may be too long to wait this year.
Shopping guru Andrea Woroch warns consumers away from clicking ship altogether.
Whenever possible choose to BOPIS, which means buy online, and pick up in store.
Most retailers have curbside options with designated parking spots and text features for fully contactless transactions.
If you're buying gifts for friends or family in other areas, avoid the lines at the post office. Order gifts for them to drive and pickup at their local outlet instead.
And think about delivery options which bypass shippers, mom and pop shops like your neighborhood florists or gift shops which have their own vans are accustomed to delivering items the same day and will be grateful for your business.
There are also a number of delivery services like Instacart, Postmates, or Shipt which will pick up and deliver not just groceries and household essentials now but will shop sometimes even giftwrap and drop off your gifts.
Just remember, with so much more online shopping this year, you can expect extra fees galore.
You'll have to pay a premium to get those presents where they're going on time.
7 on your Side helps you not get scammed this holiday season
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