It’s easy to place an order online (or a dozen) and not give a second thought as to how that package arrives at your doorstep. It just seems like Christmas magic.
But this holiday season, some online shoppers are taking time to recognize their local delivery drivers in a very special way.
Twitter lit up with holiday cheer this week, as online shoppers posted photos and thank notes dedicated to hardworking UPS, FedEx and Amazon employees.
“Anyone else absolutely wearing their delivery drivers out this week?” one shopper asked her followers. “I know I am, so I’m trying to say thanks in a small way with some goodies in a basket on the porch. Snacks make everything better!”
As it turns out, people all across America are challenging delivery drivers to meet increasingly tight deadlines to ensure everything arrives by Christmas morning.
According to TODAY correspondent Kerry Sanders, who went behind the scenes to uncover what really happens between that click of a button and “instant” delivery, more than half of all holiday purchases this year will be purchased online.
Other shoppers are getting in on the appreciation posts too:
Customers leave generous displays of snacks, treats and waters. Even TODAY Tastemaker Siri Daly got in on the gift-giving gesture.
“Saw a friend do this last year and immediately copied her, because, do you remember the holiday season before @amazon?? MALLS! The horror!” the mom and cookbook author wrote. “The hardworking men and woman delivering our packages deserve more than this but it’s a small gesture...”
Laura Carter, a mom of three who lives in a rural area of Northern Virginia told TODAY Food that she leaves a treat basket outside of her home for delivery people every December.
“They are all super nice people whom I’ve seen out as early as 7 a.m.!" Carter told TODAY via email. "They are so busy and deserve a treat!”
These sweet and simple offerings haven’t gone unnoticed by those fulfilling holiday deliveries. A few mail personnel have taken to Twitter to share their thanks, too.
This seasonal increase in online shopping adds up to a whole lot of work for people in the package business all over the country. Some workers may even skip a meal break, so these free snacks offer fuel for a long day on the road.
If you’ve delayed your holiday shopping until Thursday, Walmart, Target and Best Buy are still guaranteeing delivery by Christmas day — you just have to place your order before the end of the workday!
Meanwhile, Amazon Prime customers can place orders up until Christmas Eve for next day delivery on a select array of gifts.
While customers can now shop from anywhere, delivery personnel are still working the same old way, braving the cold, snow and rain. Cheers to their efforts this season and throughout the whole year, too!