Last Christmas delivery dates 2021: Amazon, ASOS, Boots, John Lewis, Next and more

No matter how much Christmas shopping you do, there’s always likely to be a few last-minute online hunts for presents in the run-up to the festivities. Here’s a full guide of the last delivery dates

Christmas is a time for giving, and many will be putting a lot of thought into the piles of gifts they want to give family and friends.

Though many of us may start our Christmas shopping early, it’s hard to avoid last-minute gifts when something catches our eye.

There’s nothing worse than putting so much thought into our presents, but them not arriving in time for Christmas morning.

Keeping track of when to buy your presents so that they arrive in time is particularly important now due to Covid restrictions and stock shortages.

Luckily, many retailers give an exact date of when you need to order gifts from them to make sure they are delivered by Christmas.

Here’s a full list from Royal Mail, Amazon, John Lewis, Boots and many other major retailers.

Royal Mail

For a parcel to arrive by December 25 via Royal Mail, the latest order you can send is on Thursday, December 23 with the Special Delivery Guaranteed option. You can also send by Royal Mail Tracked 24 hours until Wednesday, December 22.

All first class posts including signed-for packages and Royal Mail Tracked 48 Hours need to be sent by Tuesday, December 21, while second class posts need to be sent off by Saturday, December 18.

Another thing you need to be aware of is the opening times of your nearest post office to make sure you get your parcels send out on the right day. Note that these are only for UK shipping and the international dates are much earlier.

Amazon

The last Christmas posting date for most of your Amazon purchases is Thursday, December 23. If you use Amazon Prime you can post some gifts as late as Friday, December 24, using Same Day Delivery.

You should be able to see the date when the item will be expected to arrive so you can check that before you buy.

John Lewis

Any John Lewis orders made by Wednesday, December 22 should arrive in time for Christmas. But the website for the retailer clarifies that delivery cut-off times ‘may vary’ over the Christmas period, depending on the item and the availability of the Next Day Delivery option.

You can find out the exact arrival date of your purchases at checkout before you buy.

Curry’s PC World

With tech gifts it’s always best to order as early as possible, but in case you’re pushed to find things at the last minute, you can still place your order at Curry’s PC World by 7pm on Monday, December 20 to get your gift by Christmas Day.

This is not a guarantee, however, as delivery could be affected by bad weather, and if items are out of stock.

ASOS

If you’re looking to gift clothes this Christmas, you need to get your orders in at ASOS by Thursday, December 23.

In some selected postcodes, a Christmas Eve order is possible but its best not to count on it if you want your gift to arrive by Christmas.

Smyths Toys

If you’re looking to buy toys then you can order as late as 9pm on Monday, December 20 for a Christmas Day arrival five days later.

There are some exceptions for this date including purchases of bulky toys, for which the cut off date is much earlier on Thursday, December 16.

It’s also best to note that due to stock shortages, last minutes purchases of toys may cause some disappointment, as it would have been better to get the order in early.

Boots

Unless you’re shopping in person, there is unfortunately no way to make last-minute buys from Boots. So if you have something you want to buy from there, you’ll need to order no later than Sunday, December 19 to receive it on time.