December 21, 2016 The Skanner Page 9
News
Online Sites Court Procrastinators with Speedy Shipping
Amazon has added warehouses and carriers have increased shipping to address last-minute demand
By MAE ANDERSON
AP Technology Writer
ATLANTA — Forget ordering online
weeks in advance or dashing out to the
drug store for a gift card on Christmas
Eve. Procrastinating holiday shoppers
are finding a haven online as retailers
ramp up expedited shipping and same-
day delivery services.
Far from discouraging last-minute
online shoppers, retailers are actual-
ly courting them. Amazon is offering
a “Procrastinator’s Delight” special.
Clothing retailer Madewell proclaims
on its website that “procrastinators
get the best deals” — 25 percent off ev-
erything, with orders as late as noon
Thursday for holiday deliveries.
It’s a far cry from 2013, when Amazon
and package deliverers misjudged de-
mand and delivered some holiday pack-
ages after Christmas . Since then, the
Seattle company has added warehous-
es to be closer to customers. It has also
leased jets and trucks to get packages
delivered on time — even last-minute
orders. Package carriers such as FedEx
and UPS have also increased staffing
and hired outside contractors for the
holiday season.
“So many people are shopping on-
line because it’s easier,” said Sucharita
Mulpuru, chief retail strategist for the
ShopTalk retail conference. “They’re
waiting for last minute because nobody
is encouraging them to shop earlier.”
Trust In Reliability
If you’re an online shopper in the
days leading up to Christmas and Ha-
nukkah, be ready to forgo free shipping
and shell out for expedited service.
Look for sites that offer detailed ship-
ping information. And check where the
package is coming from — if it’s ship-
ping from China or the U.K., you won’t
get it in time.
But the extra cost and vigilance is
worth it to those seeking to avoid the
hassles of jam-packed stores, crowded
parking lots and frenzied crowds.
Laura Curtis turned to expedited
two-day shopping from Etsy and else-
where when she realized she needed
more gifts for her nieces and nephews.
“I’m usually way done by now,” said
the writer from Mt. Kisco, New York.
But she said she has faith that she’ll get
her packages on time. “Our FedEx guy
is really reliable.”
Although a union warned that Ama-
zon might not be able to retain enough
pilots under contract to deliver packag-
es through its new airline shipping ser-
vice, Prime Air, Amazon said it doesn’t
expect any delays.
Spiraling Demand, More Services
The number of holiday packages has
been rising each year as more people
shop online. Research firm comScore
predicts online shopping during the
November and December holiday peri-
od will rise as much as 19 percent from
last year to $81 billion. That compares
with an expected 3.6 percent rise in
overall shopping during the same pe-
riod to $656 billion, according to the
See SHIPPING on page 10
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