'Tis the season... Yes, it's that time of year again!
But Not The Usual Festive Season
Unfortunately, this year's celebrations will be different, it's very unlikely we all will be able to do the big family get togethers (at least in person), but modern technology, fortunately, allows us to video call and still see our loved ones, even if it is over a screen.
With yet another major lockdown here in the UK, buying gifts for the holiday season will be very different too. More than ever, shopping online will be HUGE this year.
Don't Leave Ordering Too Late
With the extra increase in online shopping, there will be a knock on impact on shipping and delivery times. The Christmas season is always busy for the delivery services like Royal Mail, but with working restrictions (due to COVID-19) and the heavy reliance on the postal services for shipping this year, delivery times are likely to be far slower than normal.
This year I'm recommending my UK customers to order by the end of November for orders they wish to receive for Christmas. I am unable to guarantee Christmas deliveries, as I am reliant on the postal services to deliver orders. I hope that orders will be received quite promptly, however, experience from earlier this year shows that even 1st Class postage can take 2 weeks to be delivered if there are postal delays.
So please do order early this year.
Delivery Restrictions
I still have had to keep the following temporary* changes to what I am able to deliver:
- No international orders (only deliveries to UK addresses)
- No shipping upgrades
These changes mean that I do not need to go to a post office. Therefore, I am able to post straight into a post box and enable me to socially distance whilst still offering an ordering facility to UK customers.
* Unfortunately, the temporary changes that I made back in March have been more prolonged than I hoped, but I will change this back as soon as I am able to which won't be until 2021 now.
Deliver To Gift Recipient
All items are packaged ready for gifting. So do remember that you can have your order delivered directly to the person you wish to gift an item to (just make sure to enter the correct delivery address when ordering). All orders will be sent by 1st Class Royal Mail, however delivery times are highly likely to take longer than normal during this holiday period.
In The Event of Temporary Closure
I will stay open to customers for as long as possible. However, there may be times when I have to temporarily stop taking new orders, whether that's due to tighter movement restrictions or if self-quarantine is necessary. If I do need to temporarily close, I will contact any customer whose order hasn't yet been shipped to offer them a chance to cancel and have their order refunded.
Last, but not least, happy holidays and stay safe everyone.