EBay Now offering free delivery until Christmas Eve

Typical $5 charges per order to have goods delivered within the hour will be waived

You know it feels like we have less time to buy our gifts this year? You're not imagining it.

If you're Jewish, then that is because Hanukkah is actually on Thanksgiving this year, which is the earliest I have ever seen. But even for those who celebrate Christmas, they have fewer days to get their gifts as well: this is the shortest shopping season since 2002, with only 27 days between Thanksgiving and December 25th.

With fewer days to shop, getting gifts delivered faster, and cheaper, will become more important to shoppers. So the race is on for the biggest online retailers to give users the incentive to pick them over their competition. This means better deals, more discounts and, of course, better shipping rates.

That is why eBay announced on Monday that it will be offering free delivery for its same-day delivery service, eBay Now, until Christmas Eve. The service typically charges a flat $5 fee for deliveries. 

"With fewer days to shop for loved ones this year, every minute of the holiday rush matters," the company wrote. "To help out harried consumers, eBay Now, eBay’s local shopping and delivery service, is offering free delivery from now right up until Christmas Eve, as well as extended shopping hours one week before Christmas."

The eBay Now service was launched last year. It allows users to order items from retailers in their area, including Finish Line, GNC, Home Depot, Macy's, Office Depot, RadioShack, Target, Toys R Us, and Walgreens. They will have their packages delivered to their door, typically within an hour.

It was initially only available San Francisco, San Jose and New York upon its initial launch, but was expanded to the Bay Area Peninsula, Brooklyn and Queens in July. In October, eBay purchased same-day delivery company Shutl, expanded to Dallas and Chicago on Tuesday, and announced that it planned to be in 25 markets by the end of next year, including London.

Of course, eBay is not the only company trying to attract customers with better rates for getting their gifts.

Walmart recently announced price matching and free shipping on orders of $35 or more, reduced from the normal $50. This promotion lasts for Walmart's Cyber Week only, though, which starts on November 30th, and ending on December 6th. 

There is actually one company that seems to be taking the opposite approach, though, by raising their shipping rates: Amazon, which actually increased its minimum free shipping order to $35 from $25 in October. 

In addition to the free shipping, eBay also announced that it will be "working with several merchants in San Francisco’s famed Ferry Building," to offer more goods for purchase online and on mobile. Retailers participating in this include Cowgirl Creamery, Mariposa Baking Co., Stonehouse Olive Oil and more.

This will allow shoppers to order from more than one Ferry Building merchant at once, though they will be limited to 10 items per order. They can also "choose from a number of specially selected items for eBay Now purchases."

In addition, certain merchants will also be offering exclusive gift baskets that will only be available for eBay Now customers.

The Ferry Building promotion is a pilot program, and so if it is successful, perhaps we will see more stores like it pop up in more cities next year. The Ferry Building promotion ends on December 31st. 

(Image source: https://www.feed-london.com)