While thousands of New Englanders were winding down for Christmas Eve, UPS and Federal Express and the Postal Service were gearing up with their final-hours push to fulfill millions of promises Christmas presents would arrive before Christmas Day.
It's estimated that about $1 of every $7 Americans spend on Hanukkah, Christmas, and holiday presents will be spent online this year. And for the overwhelming majority of online purchases, that means a delivery truck at the other end.
After online retailers overpromised guaranteed-before-Christmas shipping and weather turned nasty, the 2013 holiday season became notorious for millions of late deliveries. But in the past year, shippers have taken big steps to avoid a repeat. UPS, for example, said it has invested over $500 million upgrading systems and hired 11 percent more seasonal workers this year than last for sorting, distribution, and delivery operations. Tracking software supplier ShipMatrix Inc. said during one of the busiest shipping weeks of the year, Dec. 7-13, it appeared those upgrades paid off, as FedEx deliveries were on time 96 percent of the time and UPS 95 percent, compared to 90 and 92 percent, respectively, the same week a year earlier.
UPS and FedEx are also reported to have imposed this month caps on how many packages they would accept from specific manufacturers and retailers for guaranteed delivery by the 24th in various regions of the country. The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg reported Wednesday UPS and FedEx had both turned away undisclosed numbers of packages under those cap policies.
At the South Shore Plaza in Braintree, Mass., many shoppers said they'd either steered clear of online retailing or made sure they got it done early enough to avoid snags.
Harry DuBois of Weymouth, Mass., said he noticed more careful promises from online retailers about how late he could buy with guaranteed delivery by the 24th.
"It ended up I looked too late and couldn't get it in time for Christmas," DuBois said.
Anthony Henson, also of Weymouth, said he was careful not to have any packages due to arrive this week.
Massachusetts
The latest news from around the state
"Thank God, no," Henson said. "That'd be a little more stress than I could handle."
It is worth remembering, of course, that $6 of every $7 in U.S. holiday shopping still happens in bricks-and-mortar stores. Kathy Clifford of Quincy, Mass., doing some last-minute looking around the mall to enjoy the energy and spirit and maybe find an unexpected bargain, said she has spent a grand total of $0 online for gifts this year.
"I like to see the goods, feel the goods," Clifford said. "You never know what you're going to get online."
With videographer Mike Bellwin
