Holiday shipping deadlines

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KFVS) - ‘Tis the season of crowded stores and online shopping; and if you have to send gifts long distance, you’re probably trying to plan ahead.

“The holiday season just as we get rolling, honestly making sure I’m picking out the right gift for people,” Cape Girardeau resident Richard Bock said.

If you’re anything like him, it takes time to pick out the perfect gift.

“I’ve got so many people and I just want to make sure I’m getting them the right thing,” Bock said.

If those gifts need to be mailed, you probably try to start shopping even earlier.

“We always, always ask you to mail early,” Mark Inglett said.

Inglett is with the United States Postal Service. He said much like Santa, they prepare for Christmas all year.

“We’re super excited, it’s our time to shine,” Inglett said. “It’s our Superbowl.”

Inglett said the postal service has hired 10,000 seasonal employees to help with the holiday demand.

“It really picks up, we’re looking at possibly 70 million pieces, packages per day,” Inglett said.

If you want those presents under the tree on time, there are important dates you need to know:

Greeting cards and ground advantage packages must be sent by December 16, priority mail by December 18 and priority express can wait until December 20. However, Inglett said you should still try to get it done sooner rather than later.

“Get that early start, you get that done, you can relax and bake some cookies, and watch some movies and relax and enjoy the holiday,” Inglett said.

We reached out to FedEx to figure out what they’re expecting this season. They sent a statement saying they’ve been preparing for December all year all of their networks are running well and they’re ready to deliver a successful holiday season.

Back at USPS Inglett said they’re excited for the shipping season.

“Let’s bring it on, let’s get ready for the holidays,” Inglett said.

USPS, FedEx and UPS all have different deadlines for holiday shipping.

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