Choosing when to send your items this holiday season could be as difficult as finding the perfect gift itself. UPS, FedEx, and USPS started to urge their customers to shop and send their gifts early this year due to labor shortages and supply chain disruptions. In some cases, sending out your packages as soon as December 9th may still not guarantee your package gets there on time depending on the service you use. It has been a learning curve for everybody including Renard’s Cheese, which relies on second-day air shipping for many of the packages it sends across the country. Owner Ann Renard says they have developed a shipping system years ago that had delivered good results for them and their customers, but a little patience will still be needed.

Shipping consultant ShipMatrix told CNBC Wednesday that service levels are already taking a hit, but are still seeing an on-time performance of between 85 and 95 percent. Renard added they have been battling the same supply chain issues that many businesses are facing, especially when it comes to the packaging needed for their products.