For last-minute shoppers, it's all about shipping
— -- Folks still fret over how many shopping days are left until Christmas. But Net-savvy shoppers worry about something else: How many shipping days?
After Monday, there are seven shopping days until Christmas, but the number of shipping days varies depending on who's doing the shipping — and how much consumers are willing to spend.
"Consumers continue to buy online later and later," says Lauren Freedman, president of The E-tailing Group, an online retail consultancy. "So merchants keep extending their deadlines to get as much of the pie as possible."
A holiday shipping update:
•UPS. The company's busiest day will be Wednesday, when it expects to ship 22 million packages, says Rosenberg. Its 2007 ground fuel surcharge is 3.5% and air fuel surcharge is 11.5%.
•USPS. Monday is the last day to send domestic mail for arrival before Christmas, says Veto. Express Mail sent by Saturday comes with a guarantee for arrival by Christmas. Express Mail is delivered on Christmas Day, she notes.
•ToysRUs.com. The site on Monday extends free shipping through Tuesday for purchases over $49, says spokeswoman Kathleen Waugh.