The holiday season is here, bringing with it the hustle and bustle that keeps shippers busy right through to the New Year. While we can't prepare your holiday feast or wrap presents, we’re here to make shipping easy. To help you plan ahead and ensure timely deliveries, we’ve put together a complete list of the USPS 2024 holiday shipping deadlines. With these dates in mind, you can keep your customers happy and stress-free this holiday season!
2024 Holiday Shipping Dates for Contiguous U.S. (Lower 48 States)
Recommended send-by dates for expected delivery before December 25. (Excludes Alaska & Hawaii).
- USPS Ground Advantage® Service - December 18th
- First Class Mail® Service - December 18th
- Priority Mail® Service - December 18th
- Priority Mail Express® Service - December 21st
2024 Holiday Shipping Dates for Alaska & Hawaii
Recommended send-by dates for expected delivery before December 25.
USPS Ground Advantage® Service
- Alaska - December 16th
- Hawaii - December 16th
First-Class Mail® Service
- Alaska - December 18th
- Hawaii - December 18th
Priority Mail® Service
- Alaska - December 19th
- Hawaii - December 19th
Priority Mail Express® Service
- Alaska - December 20th
- Hawaii - December 20th
2024 Holiday Shipping Dates for International Mail
Recommended send-by dates for expected delivery before December 25.
Africa
- First Class Package International Service® - December 2nd
- Priority Mail International® Service - December 2nd
- Priority Mail Express International® Service - December 9th
Asia/Pacific Rim
- First Class Package International Service® - December 9th
- Priority Mail International® Service - December 9th
- Priority Mail Express International® Service - December 16th
Australia/New Zealand
- First Class Package International Service® - December 9th
- Priority Mail International® Service - December 9th
- Priority Mail Express International® Service - December 16th
Canada
- First Class Package International Service® - December 9th
- Priority Mail International® Service - December 9th
- Priority Mail Express International® Service - December 16th
Caribbean
- First Class Package International Service® - December 9th
- Priority Mail International® Service - December 9th
- Priority Mail Express International® Service - December 16th
Central & South America
- First Class Package International Service® - December 2nd
- Priority Mail International® Service - December 2nd
- Priority Mail Express International® Service - December 9th
Europe
- First Class Package International Service® - December 9th
- Priority Mail International® Service - December 9th
- Priority Mail Express International® Service - December 16th
Mexico
- First Class Package International Service® - December 9th
- Priority Mail International® Service - December 9th
- Priority Mail Express International® Service - December 16th
Middle East
- First Class Package International Service® - December 9th
- Priority Mail International® Service - December 9th
- Priority Mail Express International® Service - December 16th
2024 Holiday Shipping Dates for Military Mail
Recommended send-by dates for expected delivery before December 25.
USPS Ground Advantage® Service
- APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 090-092 - November 4th
- APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 093 - November 4th
- APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 094-099 - November 4th
- APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 340 - November 4th
- APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 962-966 - November 4th
First-Class Mail® Service
- APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 090-092 - December 9th
- APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 093 - December 9th
- APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 094-099 - December 9th
- APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 340 - December 9th
- APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 962-966 - December 9th
Priority Mail® Service
- APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 090-092 - December 9th
- APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 093 - December 9th
- APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 094-099 - December 9th
- APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 340 - December 9th
- APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 962-966 - December 9th
Priority Mail Express Military® Service (PMEMS)
- APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 090-092 - December 16th
- APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 093 - N/A
- APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 094-099 - December 16th
- APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 340 - December 16th
- APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 962-966 - December 16th
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us directly through the chat box on our website or at hello@VESYL.com.
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As the holiday season approaches, it’s important for shippers to plan ahead to ensure timely deliveries for their customers. To help you plan ahead, we’ve compiled all of the essential details regarding OSM's 2024 holiday schedules and shipping deadlines.
Holiday Schedule
OSM Worldwide will observe closures at its primary processing hubs during the following dates:
- Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 28, 2024
- Christmas Day: Wednesday, December 25, 2024
These closures will affect processing times, so it’s crucial to plan accordingly to avoid any delays during this peak period.
Holiday Shipping Deadlines
Domestic
- APO/FPO/OPO Mail - December 7th
- Domestic Mail (National Delivery) - December 16th
- Domestic Mail (Regional Delivery) - December 19th
International
- Africa - November 27th
- Central & South America - November 27th
- Asia/Pacific Rim - December 4th
- Australia & New Zealand - December 4th
- Canada - December 4th
- Caribbean - December 4th
- Mexico - December 4th
- Europe - December 4th
- Middle East - December 4th
For further questions, please feel free to reach out to our team through the chat box on our site or at hello@VESYL.com. Happy shipping!
With Black Friday and the holiday season just around the corner, businesses can expect a surge of shoppers eager to get in the gifting spirit and take advantage of seasonal deals. This influx brings a great opportunity for increased sales, but it also comes with the complexities of increased shipping demands.
To keep up with the growing volume of orders, carriers like USPS have announced temporary price adjustments for the 2024 peak holiday season. Effective from October 6, 2024, through January 19, 2025, these rate changes will impact Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, and USPS Ground Advantage shipments.
What Are Peak Season Surcharges?
These holiday surcharges help USPS cover additional costs associated with labor, fuel, and supplies during the peak shipping months to ensure they can maintain service standards while managing higher volumes. Staying informed about these changes is key to plan accordingly and maintain a seamless delivery experience for customers, so we’ve packaged them up for you below.
Commercial Increases
Priority Mail and USPS Ground Advantage: Zones 1-4
- $0.30 increase for 0-3 lbs.
- $0.45 increase for 4-10 lbs.
- $0.75 increase for 11-25 lbs.
- $3.00 increase for 26-70 lbs.
Priority Mail: Zones 5-9
- $0.70 increase for 0-3 lbs.
- $1.25 increase for 4-10 lbs.
- $2.75 increase for 11-25 lbs.
- $7.00 increase for 26-70 lbs.
USPS Ground Advantage: Zones 5-9
- $0.35 increase for 0-3 lbs.
- $0.75 increase for 4-10 lbs.
- $1.25 increase for 11-25 lbs.
- $5.50 increase for 26-70 lbs.
Priority Mail Express: Zones 1-4
- $1.00 increase for 0-3 lbs.
- $1.50 increase for 4-10 lbs.
- $3.50 increase for 11-25 lbs.
- $8.95 increase for 26-70 lbs
Priority Mail Express: Zone 5-9
$1.75 increase for 0-3 lbs.
$3.95 increase for 4-10 lbs.
$7.50 increase for 11-25 lbs.
$13.00 increase for 26-70 lbs.
Retail Increases
Priority Mail and USPS Ground Advantage: Zones 1-4
$0.40 increase for 0-3 lbs.
$0.55 increase for 4-10 lbs
$0.95 increase for 11-25 lbs.
$4.00 increase for 26-70 lbs.
Priority Mail: Zones 5-9
$0.90 increase for 0-3 lbs.
$1.45 increase for 4-10 lbs.
$3.25 increase for 11-25 lbs.
$8.50 increase for 26-70 lbs.
USPS Ground Advantage: Zones 5-9
$0.50 increase for 0-3 lbs.
$1.00 increase for 4-10 lbs.
$2.00 increase for 11-25 lbs.
$5.85 increase for 26-70 lbs.
Priority Mail Express: Zones 1-4
$1.10 increase for 0-3 lbs.
$2.00 increase for 4-10 lbs.
$3.90 increase for 11-25 lbs.
$9.75 increase for 26-70 lbs.
Priority Mail Express: Zones 5-9
$2.00 increase for 0-3 lbs.
$4.85 increase for 4-10 lbs.
$9.00 increase for 11-25 lbs.
$16.00 increase for 26-70 lbs.
How Can Businesses Still Save On Shipping?
Despite the USPS price increases during the holiday season, merchants still have opportunities to save on shipping costs. By using VESYL, brands can shop the best-in-class rates across multiple carriers, streamline operations, reduce labor costs, and minimize errors through automation, further maximizing efficiency and cutting down unnecessary expenses. By streamlining shipping operations, merchants can offset the impact of seasonal surcharges while still delivering an exceptional customer experience during the busiest time of the year.
Schedule a quick 15-minute call with us and we’ll show you how!
The busy seasons are both a blessing and a challenge for e-commerce businesses. Whether it's the holiday rush, back-to-school season, Black Friday or any other peak period, increased demand brings with it the potential for significant revenue, but only if your shipping operations can keep up.
In this article, we'll explore key strategies for effectively scaling your shipping operations during busy seasons, ensuring your business can handle the increased volume without compromising on service quality.
Forecasting Demand Accurately
The foundation of scaling your shipping operations lies in demand forecasting. By analyzing historical sales data, market trends, and customer behavior, you can best predict the volume of orders and products you'll need to fulfill during peak periods. This information allows you to plan your inventory, staffing, and logistics accordingly.
Optimizing Inventory Management
Efficient inventory management is critical during busy seasons. Overstocking can lead to unnecessary storage costs, while understocking can result in missed sales opportunities, delayed shipments and unhappy customers. The key is to find the right balance. To stay ahead of inventory needs, work closely with suppliers to ensure timely restocking and leverage inventory management for clear and real-time insights to stock levels. With any management system, implement regular inventory checks to reduce the risk of any mistakes.
Streamlining Fulfillment Processes
As order volumes increase, your fulfillment processes need to be as efficient as possible. Streamlining and automating these processes helps reduce the time it takes to pick, pack, and ship orders, minimizing the risk of delays and errors. For example, batch processing orders significantly speeds up order fulfillment, allowing you to get more orders out of the warehouse, in less time.
Learn how VESYL automations are improving fulfillment efficiency for businesses.
Enhancing Warehouse Operations
Your warehouse is the heart of your shipping operations, and its efficiency can make or break your ability to scale. During busy seasons, optimizing your warehouse layout, staff training, and workflow processes is essential. For example, you can create a "Golden Zone," where the top 20% of SKUs that account for 80% of your orders are stored. This zone should be located near the packing and shipping stations to minimize the distance these items travel.
Leveraging Multiple Carriers
Relying on a single carrier during busy seasons can be risky. Carrier delays or capacity issues can disrupt your fulfillment. By working with multiple carriers, you can mitigate these risks, ensure timely deliveries and save on costs.
With VESYL, we deliver the best-in-class shipping rates across multiple carriers in just a few clicks, allowing you to make the most informed decisions for your shipments, without sacrificing flexibility.
Implementing Flexible Shipping Options
Customers expect fast and reliable delivery, especially during busy seasons. By offering flexible shipping options such as expedited shipping, same-day delivery, or in-store pickup, you can meet customer’s expectations and improve their experience. It’s important to clearly communicate shipping options and cut-off dates for guaranteed delivery on your website.
Outsourcing Fulfillment and Logistics
For many e-commerce businesses, outsourcing fulfillment and logistics to third-party providers (3PLs) is a scalable solution during peak seasons. 3PLs can offer additional storage space, advanced technology, and expertise in managing high volumes, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your business. However, 3PL’s can come with their own set of challenges such as a large initial investment and limited visibility.
Alternatively, businesses can leverage shipping software. At VESYL, brands can simply connect their stores, import orders, run shipping automations, such as assigning particular products to certain package sizes or shipping rates, batch purchase up to 500 shipping labels at once at the best rates, and print labels with their corresponding packing list. This allows businesses to manage their fulfillment internally while still saving time and money on shipping.
Enhancing Customer Communication
During busy seasons, clear communication with customers is vital. Be sure to keep them informed about order status, shipping timelines, and any potential delays. This transparency can help manage expectations and reduce customer frustration. You can utilize automated email notifications and SMS alerts to keep customers updated throughout the fulfillment process.
Preparing for Returns and Exchanges
Both brands and customers would prefer to get it right the first time but as we know, it doesn’t always go that way. Busy seasons can often lead to increased returns and exchanges, especially during the gifting season. Preparing for this influx is crucial to maintaining customer satisfaction and minimizing operational disruptions.
Streamline your returns process by providing clear instructions and offering easy-to-print return labels or QR codes. You can also consider using a returns management software that automates the process and provides customers with instant refunds or exchanges.
Conclusion
The key to a successful busy season is ensuring your fulfillment can keep up. By forecasting demand, optimizing inventory and warehouse management, leveraging multiple carriers, and enhancing customer communication, you can ensure a smooth and successful peak season. Finally, be sure to track, record and analyze for continuous improvement and business success.