CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The holiday shopping and shipping season is here. This year especially, because of the coronavirus, more people are expected to send gifts through the mail. The U.S. Postal Service making changes to ensure everything is delivered on time.
Some people are already mailing holiday gifts out because health officials are discouraging celebrating the holidays together.
“Typically, I’d just give them, but this year because of COVID, I have to send them,” Tahir Porter said.
Postal workers are preparing for a 20% increase in holiday mail this season.
“In year past, you'd hand gifts out personally, now, it’s more shipping gifts, holiday gift cards, maybe email, doing a lot of things like that,” Frank Mitchell said.
USPS officials expect traffic inside the post offices to pick up in the next two weeks. Next Monday is likely the busiest of the season.
“Ship early," Charlotte's Postmaster Justin Henderson said. "If you can get in now, do it."
Coronavirus protections are in place inside of every location so lines may appear to be longer than they are. USPS hired more workers to keep up with the rush, which means 95% of USPS deliveries should be made on time.
This summer, operational changes within the USPS led to slowdowns, especially around the election with an influx of mail-in ballots moving through the system.
Henderson said that didn't have much of an impact on operations in Charlotte. Things always slow down a bit this time of year, but customers shouldn’t expect extreme delays this holiday season.
“I think we understand a thing that may take three days will take four to five this time of year,” Henderson said.
Deadlines to ensure gifts arrive by Christmas are quickly approaching. To save the most money and ship retail ground, get the packages out by Dec. 5. The deadline for first-class mail is Dec. 18 and priority mail is Dec. 19.
Procrastinators can mail something out on Dec. 23 by priority mail express, and it will still arrive by Christmas.
“We are looking forward to getting these gifts home and serving the public," Henderson said. "It's been a tough year for us as it has been for everyone else."
Packages can also be sent without ever going to the post office.
Several locations in the Charlotte area have extended hours for the holidays. Charlotte Downtown, Steele Creek, WT Harris, Hickory, Matthews and Fort Mill locations are open Sundays in December from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.