Some express service available for last-minute gifts

Santa’s helpers at Pack-N-Ship say the window is very narrow for getting gifts shipped and delivered by Christmas.

Pack-N-Ship has been in business for 13 years, Sheila Caylor said. And every December, their business increases significantly.

“We definitely notice an increase in traffic during the holiday season this year,” Caylor said. “I think it has increased because people are more secure with the economy and are spending more.”

Yesterday was the deadline for shipping Christmas gifts, and Caylor said that yesterday was their busiest day.

“People definitely came in and dropped off a lot of things for us to ship because of the deadline,” Caylor said. “It has been crazy busy.”

The business assists customers in shipping through FedEx, UPS, or the USPS. There are still options for getting packages delivered by Christmas Eve, but some surcharges may apply. (See info box).

Caylor said that Pack N Ship tries to find the best option possible for their customers when it comes to shipping their gifts.

“We try to find the best price to get it there in a timely fashion,” Caylor said. “We look at every option possible. The delivery people are going to be handling a lot more volume, so we want to pack it with extra layers so they aren’t messing up any gifts.”

She said that this holiday season, customers have been sending a lot of toys for kids and non-perishables.

“Pecans, sausage, southern style grits, corn meal and just a lot of stuff people can’t get in the north,” Caylor said. “Between that and toys for kids we have been extremely busy.”

In addition to shipping, the business also provides electronic services, like transferring videos from VHS, and sells some toys, including the very popular L.O.L. Surprise Dolls.

“We are selling tons of L.O.L. Surprise Dolls,” Caylor said. “We have been selling tons online as well. We still have some in the store though, as well as Scruff-A-Luv Pets.”