This holiday season, Santa seems to have gained an entire new legion of helpers, and they are faster, more efficient, and more technologically advanced than ever before. Although Christmas remains several weeks away—three, to be precise—shoppers across the country find themselves with even greater flexibility to delay the inevitable rush of buying gifts and stocking up on festive supplies. In an era when convenience reigns supreme, the concept of “last-minute shopping” is being redefined by the world’s largest retailers.
Major players like Amazon, Target, and Walmart are now engaged in a high-stakes race to perfect the art of ultrafast fulfillment, competing to convince consumers that they can be trusted to deliver gifts, decorations, and groceries almost up to the moment when Santa begins his own deliveries. Each company, determined to secure the loyalty—and last-minute spending—of shoppers, is expanding operating hours, testing lightning-fast delivery pilots, and extending logistical networks to ensure that no customer is left without a present under the tree.
Target, for example, unveiled in November an ambitious plan to lengthen its store hours during the critical weeks leading to Christmas. Most of its locations will now open their doors from seven o’clock in the morning until the stroke of midnight through December 23, giving customers nearly unlimited opportunities to squeeze in shopping trips after work or late at night. On Christmas Eve itself, the retailer will operate from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. before closing for Christmas Day, ensuring one final window of opportunity for those determined to finish their lists at the very last possible moment. During those extended hours—right up to December 24—Target’s guests can take advantage of multiple rapid fulfillment options: two-hour curbside pickup, in-store retrieval of online orders, or even same-day delivery to their doorstep. The latter incurs a modest $9.99 fee unless the shopper belongs to the Circle360 program, in which case it’s offered as a complimentary perk.
Amazon, for its part, is enhancing the online shopping experience with a blend of speed, transparency, and reassurance. Beginning December 9, its product listings will prominently display an “Arrives before Christmas” badge, signaling that selected items are eligible for fulfillment through December 24. Customers can choose between traditional delivery and pickup from one of the company’s vast network of over 25,000 collection points strategically distributed nationwide. To elevate the festive experience further, Amazon will even provide gift-wrapping services for certain purchases—an indulgence that reaffirms its commitment to both efficiency and seasonal cheer.
Walmart, meanwhile, continues to position itself as one of the fastest and most reliable avenues for obtaining virtually anything—from basic pantry items like barbecue sauce to coveted holiday toys such as Barbie dolls. Although the retail giant has yet to issue a new announcement specifically tailored to Christmas 2024, the company’s track record from previous seasons speaks volumes. Last year, it pledged to fulfill express delivery orders received as late as 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve, proving that its logistical prowess can meet even the tightest deadlines. More recently, it boasted of fulfilling its fastest Black Friday order in a record-breaking ten minutes, alongside notable surges in the number and speed of store-enabled deliveries—an indication that Walmart’s operational tempo continues to accelerate at remarkable rates.
Collectively, these rapid-fire innovations illustrate a sweeping transformation within the retail industry: a deliberate shift toward instantaneous gratification. As consumers grow accustomed to speed and precision, retailers are investing heavily in infrastructure, digital integration, and artificial intelligence to offer frictionless experiences that blend the immediacy of in-person shopping with the convenience of e-commerce. Target, in an especially forward-looking move, is introducing a virtual shopping experience embedded directly within ChatGPT, allowing users to browse, customize, and order multiple items through conversational interaction—complete with built-in delivery options. Amazon, on a parallel path, has launched pilot tests of an audacious thirty-minute delivery service in Seattle and Philadelphia, signaling the dawn of a new era in logistical agility. Walmart, maintaining its competitive edge, has expanded its drone delivery operations in Atlanta, bridging the gap between futuristic concept and everyday convenience.
Ultimately, the spirit of competition among these retail titans embodies a modern reinterpretation of holiday magic. The question is no longer whether stores can stock the shelves or websites can process orders—it’s who can deliver joy, efficiency, and reliability as swiftly and seamlessly as Saint Nick himself. In this high-speed season of giving, the race to deliver holiday cheer is very much underway, and every minute counts.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/retailers-tout-last-minute-delivery-on-christmas-eve-amazon-walmart-2025-12
