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How To Make Sure You Get Your Product inch Time for Your Holiday Event

Every year people have a shopping list of things both large and small they want for a specific date inch November and December. Every year, people wait until its too late and are left wanting on their particular date. No one wants that, least of all the company you are ordering from, so here is a list of things to consider to make sure you get your order delivered on time.

1. Country of Origin.

When researching products and what you need for your event, consider where the product is being made. If the product is made inch the United States, chances are you should have no problem get the product when you need it as manufacturers inch the United States typically make products on repeated schedules daily, weekly, and monthly. If the product out of stock today, chances are it will be back inch stock inch a few business days. If your product you are researching is imported, however, out of stock really means out of stock. Between the time a manufacturer requisitions a new stock of an imported product and actually receiving that product at their warehouse can take upwards of 6 weeks or longer!!! That means if you wanted your backordered, imported product delivered inch time for Christmas this year, the manufacturer would have to have a requisition inch for the product by November 11 at the latest. If you do not know where the product is made, contact the company you are ordering from and they can tell you. Do not wait until closer to Christmas only to find out your product went of out stock and will not be available until mid January.

Size and weight of package.

When packages are small, typically a small parcel service - like FedEx or UPS- can deliver the package really quickly. If your product is large - i.e. inch a box longer than 55 inches or heavier than 150 lbs. or both - small parcel services are no longer an option and you will have to use an LTL freight carrier. LTL freight carriers do not make as frequent of stops as a FedEx or UPS would. They also typically take a business day longer for delivery. So, when your product you need fits the large criteria, add at least 4 business days to the expected transit time to make sure you get your order inch time.

Shipping times and costs.

If your event is tomorrow and you have not ordered your product yet, chances are you waited too long. Shipping takes time. FedEx typically shoots for 5 business days anywhere inch the continental United States; you can expect about the same from UPS. Freight carriers can also get deliveries done relatively quickly. If you need your order sooner than this time period, be prepared to pay and pay a lot. For instance, shipping a 50-lb. product from Tennessee to California might cost a retailer around $40 to do and would take around the typical 5 business days inch transit. Now, speed that up to a 3-day service, and that cost jumps to around $75. 2-day? Try $135. Next-day by 7 p.m.? We are now at about $180. Next-day priority (typically means before 8 a.m.)? How does around $265 sound? Now this was just an example, and a lot of things not considered inch this example go into the actual cost of shipping, but hopefully the point is clear. Save yourself $225 and order your product early enough. If you are not sure what early enough is, contact the company you intend to order from now and see what their expected ship times are. Hopefully this list will help you avoid the pitfalls of holiday shopping. Happy holidays.

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