2024 BFCM Warehouse Deadlines + Blackout Dates 

To help anticipate volume and help focus our team's energy during BFCM, we are implementing the following deadlines and blackout dates. Reach out to your Account Manager if you need help coordinating around these items:

• Promotional/Sales Schedule Due: November 1st
• SOW Request Deadline: November 15th
• Inbound Freight Blackout: November 29th - December 2nd
• Outbound Freight Blackout: November 29th - December 6th
• Returns Processing Blackout: November 29th-December 6th
  • Deprioritizing returns processing from December 9th-20th
• SOW Blackout: November 27th - December 2nd

2024 Carrier Holiday Surcharges

USPS

USPS holiday surcharges will apply to all packages from October 6, 2024, through January 19, 2025. 

On average, expect surcharges between 5-6.5% for domestic rates.

FedEx:

FedEx introduced peak surcharges to affect all ground and express services from October 28, 2024 to January 19, 2025. 

These surcharges are date-range dependent and will be applied as a flat rate per package. Additional surcharges will be applied to oversize and heavy packages – Nice Commerce will work to mitigate this as much as possible during order fulfillment. 

2024 Holiday Shipping Deadlines 

Nice Recommendations to ensure timely deliveries by Christmas:

• Pad carrier deadlines by a day or two to account for delays. If a carrier gives December 15th as the last day to ship in time for Christmas, make your "guaranteed" cut-off to customers the 14th or 13th.
• Plaster your brand's shipping deadlines prominently on your website, email, and social channels.
  • Nudge or incentivize customers to get ahead of the "mad scramble" and make purchases earlier in the season.
• Offer multiple shipping speed options at checkout.
• Cut off your "express" shipping options by Friday, December 20th. 2-day and overnight deliveries are less dependable the closer you get to Christmas. 

Holiday Shipping Deadlines by Carrier: 

USPS, Domestic

• Ground Advantage and First Class | Ship by Saturday, December 14th

• Priority Mail | Ship by Monday, December 16th

• Priority Mail Express | Ship by Friday, December 20, 2024

USPS, International:

    We recommend Friday, December 6th as the cutoff date for international gift orders

FedEx: 

• Ground Economy | Ship by Friday, December 13th

• Ground + Home Delivery | Ship by Tuesday, December 17th

• Express Saver | Ship by Thursday, December 19th

• 2Day | Ship by Friday, December 20th

• Overnight | Monday, December 23rd (We do not recommend shipping Overnight, please have all in by the 20th to ensure delivery by the Holidays.)

UPS: 

• Ground | Ship by Monday, December 16th

• 3-Day Select | Ship by Wednesday, December 18th

• 2nd Day Air | Ship by Friday, Dec 20th 

• Next Day Air | December 22 (We do not recommend shipping Next Day Air, please have all orders in by the 20th to ensure delivery by the Holidays.)