Order deadlines before Christmas
This way the presents arrive in time for Christmas Eve
Santa Claus should hand over the presents to the delivery person on time.
© Ground Picture/Shutterstock.com
Millions of presents are on their way through Germany before Christmas. An overview of the deadlines of well-known retailers and parcel services.
Many people want to avoid long queues at the checkouts and pre-Christmas stress by simply ordering gifts online. Before On Christmas Eve there is usually a state of emergency for retailers and parcel service providers. Since this can lead to delays, consumers should generally order as early as possible – or get the Christmas mail on its way.
Here is an overview of some of the best-known retailers and parcel services in Germany. The basic rule is: ordered products must be available and possible delays due to bad weather conditions or the like are not taken into account. Special shipping methods such as express deliveries are also usually more expensive than standard shipping.
Amazon
When asked by the news agency spot on news, Amazon points out that customers can order earlier in order to “avoid the Christmas rush”. It offers “a variety of convenient delivery options” regardless of when the order is placed. The shipping giant recommends “finding out about the delivery time on the product detail page before purchasing” if the goods are needed at a specific time.
Apple
Like last year, Apple is offering again a detailed overview page, on which it is noted by when the order must be placed in the store so that smartphones, tablets, etc. are still under the Christmas tree. For models in the iPhone 15 series, different versions of the AirPods or the HomePod mini, for example, December 21st is currently specified as the deadline.
DHL
“Please order your gifts as early as possible,” asks DHL on its homepage. To ensure that the Christmas mail reaches its recipient on time, the company sets December 21st as the latest drop-off date for Christmas letters and postcards before the respective mailbox is emptied. For parcels and parcels that are to be sent within Germany, December 20th is mentioned – for express shipments, December 21st up to the corresponding shipping deadline. December 14th is the deadline for parcels to neighboring countries.
GLS Germany
Its competitor GLS Germany expects around 1.1 million packages to be sent per day in the high season before Christmas. According to a message from the parcel service, parcels sent within Germany should be delivered by 12:00 noon on December 20th at the latest. GLS Germany states December 19th for neighboring countries, December 18th for other EU countries and December 15th for worldwide deliveries – 12:00 noon each time.
Hermes
Hermes guarantees a first delivery attempt for parcels and packages within Germany by Christmas Eve if they are dropped off at one of the parcel shops by December 19th at 12:00 p.m. December 19th is also mentioned in the “Promise for Christmas 2023” for parcel pickup at home. Shipments abroad must be delivered earlier. For Austria it will be up an overview page on the homepage for example December 18th is listed, for Sweden December 14th.
Ikea
Upon request, the Swedish furniture giant Ikea said that customers should receive package orders placed before December 17th by December 23rd. This includes the options for parcel delivery up to 16kg and 30kg with dimensions of up to 60x60x120 centimeters each. There is also the option of using the “Click & Collect” service. Consumers can order online and pick up the goods themselves at one of the furniture stores.
MediaMarkt and Saturn
As every year, MediaMarkt and Saturn offer an “Under the Tree Promise” in their online shops, they say when asked. The electronics specialist stores specify December 21, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. as the order deadline for standard orders. Goods that are sent from the markets should therefore be ordered by December 20th at 12:00 p.m. and bulky parcel goods by December 17th at midnight. For large appliances without additional service, December 19th at 12:00 p.m. applies, for large appliances with comfort service (connection) December 18th at midnight and for large appliances with premium service (installation) December 14th at 24th :00 p.m.
Otto
At Otto, the order deadlines before Christmas also differ depending on the shipping method and item. When asked, it is said that parcels should arrive via normal shipping by December 23rd if they are ordered by December 20th. If noted accordingly on the respective item, customers can order goods via express service (December 21st) or 24-hour service (December 22nd). When it comes to items with so-called “two-man handling”, including refrigerators or large TV sets, delivery takes place between Thursday and Saturday before Christmas Eve if ordered by December 19th and a delivery time of 2 to 3 days is specified.
Zalando
To ensure that gifts within Germany arrive in time for the festival, customers can “order from Zalando via standard shipping until Monday, December 18th at 11:00 p.m.,” explains the fashion retailer upon request. For express deliveries, the company says December 22nd at 2:30 p.m. However, if the weather conditions – including heavy snow or slippery conditions – affect delivery times, customers will be informed.