Digital Desk Staff
An Post have announced that retailers wanting to ensure their products reach customers before Christmas should post the parcels by December 14th.
The increased levels of online shopping has put more pressure on delivery systems, prompting the earlier date.
A spokesperson for An Post said the deadline applies to large-scale e-commerce retailers and shippers, not personal customers.
The deadlines for personal customers wishing to send parcels remain the same, varying on the destination and the chosen class. The dates can be viewed on the An Post website.
For standard parcels to the UK, the pre-Christmas deadline is December 18th, while it is December 12th for parcels to the rest of Europe.
The spokesperson added: "Ireland has never seen volumes like this. We’re running a full capacity in recent weeks, delivering 3.3 million parcels, up from 1 million at the same time last year."
An Post has seen a sharp increase in parcels since the announcement of Level 5 restrictions, noting customers have been getting prepared for Christmas extra early this year to avoid disappointment.
