Sorry, you've missed Christmas! - Parcelhero warns many favourite stores have stopped online orders

19th December 2024

Today is the final date to place your online orders with some of Britain's favourite stores to guarantee delivery in time for Christmas. The home delivery expert Parcelhero says many retailers have learned not to risk disappointing customers and are now calling time on orders.

Shoppers hunting last-minute bargains may have left it too late to buy online from their favourite stores in time for Christmas, warns the home delivery expert Parcelhero. This year, a number of retailers have brought forward their online final ordering dates, catching many shoppers unprepared. No retailers or couriers deliver on Christmas Day, so the last delivery date is Christmas Eve, and some of the UK's favourite stores won't guarantee to get your items delivered for 24 December after today.

Parcelhero's Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks M.I.L.T., says: ‘With Christmas delivery confusion likely, Parcelhero's ever-popular retailers' Christmas deadline tool is invaluable. It lists fifty of the UK’s favourite stores’ final online ordering dates for Christmas. Our tool reveals that, from Boden to Waterstones, many retailers have played it safe and decided to pull forward their Christmas orders by a day or more this year.

‘Rather than risk disappointing customers, some of Britain’s best-loved stores have faced the problem of Christmas deliveries head-on and are being cautious. Stores calling it quits today (Thursday, 19 December) include:

House of Fraser
Paul Smith
Waterstones
‘Tomorrow, (Friday, 20 December) many more are set to follow, including:

Boden
The Bodyshop
Dell
Disney
French Connection
In all, 19 out of the Top 50 retailers featured in our list have brought forwards their final order deadline by a day or more from the dates they originally gave us. We think that’s a sensible precaution. With Britain’s tabloids forecasting a "snow bomb" this Saturday, any potential disruption to deliveries could mean presents miss arriving before the Big Day.

‘In contrast, for those shoppers determined to cling on until the eleventh hour, some stores are still offering Same-Day deliveries on Christmas Eve. That can be an expensive option and we’d never recommend people rely on last-minute deliveries, except in an emergency. Stores offering Christmas Eve Same-Day home deliveries include:

Amazon
Argos
Net-a-Porter (selected areas)
Zara (selected areas)

‘As Christmas gallops towards us, Parcelhero’s popular Christmas tool can be a lifesaver. To check the easy-to-use retailers’ final order dates or find out the last mailing dates for presents to UK and international destinations see:
https://www.parcelhero.com/events/christmas-gifts-delivery