Believe it or not, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are right around the corner, and the holidays aren’t far behind. In other words, it’s gifting season! Or should we say, buying season. And by all accounts, it looks like online shopping will increase beyond already historic levels as consumers continue to avoid stores and purchase online, thanks to the pandemic.

How much of a surge are we talking here? Experts predict an increase of 27% compared to the 2019 season. That means 2020 shoppers are expected to order 86.3 million packages a day between Thanksgiving and Christmas. That’s one long “nice” list.

As online shopping increases, so does the possibility of shipping delays and increased fees to account for the influx of orders. Despite UPS working with its largest customers to shift package volume to lower-traffic weekdays or weekends, some expect as many as 7 million packages a day could be delayed over the holidays. These delays will make it harder to predict when packages might arrive, and harder to ensure someone is around to receive them. Plus, FedEx is increasing shipping fees to offset surge costs, the burden of which could be placed on the consumer.

And shipping methods aren’t the only challenge for eager holiday shoppers this year. As the volume of orders and arrival of packages increases, so does temptation for thieves to steal them from unsuspecting homeowners. Package theft always spikes during the holidays - rising as much as 47% in some places last season. And if numbers continue to grow as they have during the pandemic, we could see a record amount of porch piracy in the next few months.

So, with unpredictable delivery schedules, possibly higher shipping fees, and thieves on the lookout, what can people do to ensure they get what they order this gift-giving season? Retailers suggest starting your shopping as early as possible to spread out the load and give deliveries as much buffer time as possible to account for delays, but that still won’t guarantee your long sought-after gifts will make it safely into your loved ones’ hands.

Another option is to give yourself an early holiday gift - one that will keep giving all season long: an Adoorn mail + package box. Adoorn provides a lockable, drop off location for all your packages, no matter when they arrive or who (if anyone) is there to receive them. Designed with safety in mind, the easy-to-use system also features a secure, weatherproof exterior that protects even your most delicate packages from thieves and inclement weather alike.

There are plenty of things to worry about this holiday season. With Adoorn, your package deliveries don’t have to be one of them.