U.S. postal office warns holiday shoppers to ship early this season

COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) - As the holiday rush ramps up, post offices across the Valley are already seeing a surge in customers hoping to get gifts in the mail before Christmas. USPS Postmaster Andrea White says foot traffic has jumped by at least 20 percent.

Postal officials are urging people to mail packages as early as possible to avoid delays. They’ve released this year’s shipping deadlines.

Recommending First-Class Mail and USPS Ground Advantage to get those packages into the mail system by December 17th. Priority Mail, by December 18. If you’re one of those really, really procrastinators, December 20 for Priority Mail Express.

USPS recommends using the self-service kiosks available in many lobbies. Customers can buy postage, print labels, and drop packages directly into the outgoing slot — often in a fraction of the time.

With deadlines quickly approaching and lines already forming, USPS officials say the best strategy is simple: ship early. Dropping gifts in the mail sooner rather than later is the most reliable way to make sure they arrive before Christmas.