Best shipping times during the holiday season

According to STELLAService, an independent company that rates the customer service quality of online retailers, Zappos.com has the fastest standard delivery times this holiday season; the company is shipping gifts in an average of two days. At the other end of the spectrum, ToysRUs.com and HSN.com have the slowest standard delivery times — an average of 5.5 days.

For this research, STELLAService ordered six products via standard shipping (or similar method) during November and December 2011. Two items from each retailer were shipped to the West Coast, Midwest and East Coast.

Fastest shipping

The eight fastest retailers had an average shipping time of three days or less:

• Zappos.com (2 days)
• Newegg.com (2.3 days)
• HPshopping.com (2.5 days)
• JCPenney.com (2.7 days)
• Amazon.com, (2.7 days)
• Gap.com (2.8 days)
• Dell.com (2.8 days)
• SonyStyle.com (2.8 days)

On the flip side, three retailers had average shipping times of more than 5 days: ToysRUs.com (5.5 days) HSN.com (5.5 days) and Kohls.com (5 days). Where you live matters, too: New Yorkers fare better than Californians. The West Coast experienced the slowest delivery times, with an average of 3.7 days, while the East Coast had the fastest deliveries at 3.4 days.

While some companies missed expected delivery windows, six retailers actually beat estimated delivery times:

• Zappos.com: Real shipping time, 2 days; estimated delivery time, 4 to 5 days
• SonyStyle.com: Real shipping time, 2.8 days; estimated delivery time, 5 to 7 days
• Newegg.com: Real shipping time, 2.3 days; estimated delivery time, 4 to 7 days
• HPShopping.com: Real shipping time, 2.5 days; estimated delivery time, 5 to 7 days
• Amazon.com: Real shipping time, 2.7 days; estimated delivery time, 3 to 5 days
• Dell.com: Real shipping time, 2.8 days; estimated delivery time, 3 to 7 days

Average standard delivery time for top 25 retailers

1. Zappos.com — 2.0 days
2. Newegg.com — 2.3 days
3. HPShopping.com — 2.5 days
4. Jcpenney.com — 2.7 days
5. Amazon.com — 2.7 days
6. Gap.com — 2.8 days
7. Dell.com — 2.8 days
8. Sonystyle.com — 2.8 days
9. Williams-Sonoma.com — 3.2 days
10. Nordstrom.com — 3.2 days
11. LLBean.com — 3.3 days
12. BestBuy.com — 3.3 days
13. Macys.com — 3.5 days
14. Shop.avon.com — 3.7 days
15. Overstock.com — 3.8 days
16. Store.Apple.com — 4.0 days
17. Target.com — 4.0 days
18. Walmart.com — 4.0 days
19. VictoriasSecret.com — 4.2 days
20. QVC.com — 4.3 days
21. Sears.com — 4.3 days
22. Buy.com — 4.4 days
23. Kohls.com — 5.0 days
24. HSN.com — 5.5 days
25. ToysRUs.com — 5.5 days

More holiday shopping tips

How to curb overspending during the holidays
8 tips for savvy holiday shopping
How to save money on your holiday shopping