Advertisement

49% Of Shoppers Plan To Shop Early This Holiday Season

Holiday ShippingShoppers plan to finish their online holiday shopping early this year to ensure their gifts arrive on time, according to new research from Pitney Bowes.

Nearly half (49%) of the U.S. consumers who plan to shop online this holiday season said they will do so earlier. The primary reason for this decision (63%) is to ensure packages are delivered before their celebrations with friends and family.

Up to one third (33%) of shoppers said they plan to pay more attention to shipping this year versus last year. They are doing so by tracking packages once or twice (33%), three to five times (21%) or even six or more times (23%).

Advertisement

The second annual Pitney Bowes Holiday Shipping Survey, which was conducted by ORC International, includes insights from approximately 1,000 U.S. consumers.

“Last year, holiday shipping challenges stemmed from a perfect storm of record-breaking weather combined with over-promises to deliver orders on time and a last-minute shipping surge,” said Christoph Stehmann, President of e-Commerce and Shipping Solutions at Pitney Bowes. “To help capture holiday sales this year and meet customer expectations, retailers should prepare well in advance for the unexpected, and provide real-time visibility on shipping packages and reliable delivery estimates.”

Consumers’ decision to purchase holiday gifts earlier could be inspired by the fact that they prefer free shipping to fast shipping. In fact, 82% of respondents said free five-to-seven-day shipping is more valuable to them than having products delivered in one or two business days for an additional fee.

The consumers who find fast shipping more attractive than free shipping, however, said they would pay an average of $8.50 for two-day delivery. Fewer (19%) respondents said they’d be willing to pay more than $10 for faster shipping.

Featured Event

View the Retail Trendcaster Webinar Series on-demand to uncover key 2025 retail trends, from AI and personalization to social commerce. Gain expert insights, data-driven predictions, and actionable takeaways to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving market.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Retail Trendcaster Webinar Series
Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds

Uncovering What’s Next in Retail

On-Demand Limited Video Series

Q1 is a pivotal time for retail, with experts analyzing holiday sales and forecasting trends. View the full lineup of the Retail Trendcaster video series for insights on consumer spending, AI, personalization, social commerce, and more—helping you focus on what truly matters in 2025.

Brought to you by
Retail TouchPoints
Access Now
Retail TouchPoints is a brand of Emerald X LLC. By clicking the button and submitting information, you acknowledge and agree that your information may be shared with corporate affiliates of Emerald X LLC, and other organizations such as event hosts, speakers, sponsors, and partners. Please read our Privacy Policy and our Terms Of Use for more information on our policies.

Access The Media Kit

Interests:

Access Our Editorial Calendar




If you are downloading this on behalf of a client, please provide the company name and website information below: