Free Shipping Day, December 16th, For the Start of Last-Minute Shopping

If the holiday season is marked by anything at all, it is, from the beginning, associated with rushing.

After Thanksgiving dinner- like literally, right after dinner now, as stores are opening at 10PM, people start rushing out the door for Black Friday. The past few years have been marked by my stressed-out aunts and cousins worrying how they will hit all their favorite stores when the first rush kicks in. From there, it is a rush to get everything ready and planned in time for the big day, rushing through a rush-filled season to rush around on Christmas Day. There is rush shipping, expedited mail and rushes on certain sales, as attractive pricing pops up at different points of the season to sway us into buying more… in case we forgot something.

So in the spirit of Christmas urgency, today is Free Shipping Day 2011– a holiday during which more than 2,000 online retailers team up to offer free shipping by Christmas for delivery by Christmas Eve. Participating retailers span a large swath of the e-commerce industry, including popular shops Harry & David, Bed, Bath and Beyond, Kohl’s, Godiva, Griffin, Skullcandy, Dell, Snapfish, DSW, Sears, Crate & Barrel, CB2 and Target, among many, many others.

If you want to find a Free Shipping Day-eligible retailer, the site offers many ways to search- there are many categories, as well as sorting by type of offer and lists like Staff Picks. The promotion is available today and only today- December 16th- so if you want to take advantage of it, you’d better hustle.