It’s Beginning To Look Like Christmas

The gifts are rolling in. You may have seen stacks of large packages at the entrance to your apartment building, or on the doorsteps of the neighbors on your cul-de-sac throughout Northern Colorado.

Yesterday FedEx reported that it expected to have the busiest shipping day in the company’s 39-year history. The company said it estimated it would move a record 16 million packages on its trucks, planes and conveyer belts. That’s up nearly 13 percent more than the company’s biggest day last year, and double the number of shipments of an ordinary day.

Promising signs are accumulating. Online spending reached almost $22 billion in the first 40 days of the 2010 holiday season, up 12 percent from the same period last year, according to web measurement company ComScore.

“It’s clear that while deal-seeking shoppers may have driven stronger than anticipated spending early in the season, Americans continue to demonstrate a significantly greater willingness to spend online this year than in seasons past,” said ComScore chairman Gian Fulgoni.

UPS reports we’re probably in the midst of the most active shipping week of the year. But there’s also still plenty of time to order gifts and have them delivered in time for Christmas day. The company’s busiest day is Dec. 22.

“We see the holiday rush as late as Dec. 23 for delivery on Dec. 24,” said UPS Store franchisee Karen Hurley.

From Thanksgiving to Christmas, UPS projects it will deliver 430 million packages around the world.