Santa has more helpers than ever this year.
Christmas is still three weeks away, but shoppers now have more time to procrastinate on gifts and supplies for the holiday.
Amazon, Target, and Walmart are each racing to offer ultrafast fulfillment options as late as Christmas Eve, as each company looks to earn shoppers’ trust that they can deliver in a pinch.
Target said in November that it is extending store hours from 7 a.m. to midnight in the weeks leading up to December 23, and from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve before closing for Christmas Day.
During those operating hours — including Christmas Eve — Target says customers can get orders within two hours via curbside or in-store pickup, or opt for same-day delivery for a $9.99 fee (or free for Circle360 members).
And starting December 9, Amazon will display an “Arrives before Christmas” message on item listings, many of which will be available for fulfillment as late as Christmas Eve via delivery or one of the company’s 25,000 pickup locations.
The company says it will even gift-wrap certain items.
Walmart has also been leaning hard into establishing itself as one of the fastest ways to get anything from barbecue sauce to Barbie dolls — and it’s only getting faster.
The retail giant hasn’t made a Christmas-specific delivery announcement yet, but last year it promised to fulfill express delivery orders placed as late as 4 p.m. local time on Christmas Eve.
More recently, Walmart said it fulfilled its fastest Black Friday order in 10 minutes, with big increases in both the volume and speed of deliveries fulfilled from its stores.
The changes are part of a broader push among retailers to make shopping more convenient — and immediate.
Target is rolling out a shopping experience within ChatGPT — including delivery options on orders with multiple items — ahead of the holidays. And, this week, Amazon announced a 30-minute delivery test in Seattle and Philadelphia, while Walmart expanded its drone delivery services in Atlanta.
In other words, the race is on to see who can deliver the cheer like Saint Nick.
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