Christmas Posting Times 2026 – When Should You Order?

Every December, the same question starts appearing in our inbox.

“If I order this now, will it arrive before Christmas?”

The answer becomes slightly less scientific with every passing day.

We will always do our best to get orders packed and dispatched quickly, and we will continue sending parcels right up to Christmas. But once we reach the later part of December, even the most enthusiastic bit of paper wrap cannot persuade a courier van to move any faster.

So, if your order really needs to be with you before Christmas Day, these are the dates we recommend working to.

Recommended Christmas Order Dates

UK Orders
Please order by 10am on Sunday 20 December 2026.

Europe and the United States
Please order by 10am on Sunday 13 December 2026.

Australasia and Rest of World
Please order by 10am on Sunday 6 December 2026.

These are not absolute postal guarantees.

They are the dates we believe give an order a realistic chance of arriving before Christmas, allowing for the extra pressure that postal and courier networks inevitably experience during December.

Can I Still Order After Those Dates?

Absolutely.

We are not closing the website, barricading the warehouse doors or refusing to touch another dinner plate until January.

Orders placed after the recommended dates will still be processed and dispatched as quickly as we reasonably can.

But the later the order is placed, the less comfortable we become saying it is likely to arrive before Christmas.

There comes a point where it moves from “that should be fine” to “there is still a chance”.

And eventually to “well… we can certainly try.”

Why We Give Ourselves a Little Extra Time

Replacement china is not quite the same as ordering something from a warehouse containing another 5,000 identical examples.

Every piece we sell is pre-loved, individually handled and packed carefully before it begins its journey.

A dinner plate, teapot or serving dish needs rather more protection than a jumper or paperback book, particularly when it is travelling several hundred or several thousand miles.

December also brings the predictable combination of increased parcel volumes, busy depots, weather disruption and the occasional delivery network deciding that the week before Christmas would be an excellent time to become slightly unpredictable.

We would therefore rather give customers realistic dates than publish the most optimistic possible cut-offs and cross our fingers afterwards.

If It Is a Christmas Present, Earlier Is Better

This is particularly important if you are buying replacement china as a gift.

A missing plate from somebody's much-loved dinner service can make a surprisingly thoughtful present.

So can a replacement cup, a discontinued mug they have been searching for, or one of those obscure serving pieces that produces the wonderfully satisfying response:

“Where on earth did you find that?”

But it is much easier to enjoy that moment if the parcel is actually underneath the Christmas tree.

If you already know what you need, there is very little advantage in waiting until the final few days.

International Orders Need More Breathing Room

International parcels inevitably have more opportunities to encounter delays.

They may pass through several transport hubs, customs processing and local delivery networks before reaching their destination.

That is why our recommended dates move progressively earlier for Europe and the United States, and earlier again for Australasia and other more distant destinations.

We ship replacement china worldwide throughout the year, but Christmas is the one period when allowing extra time becomes particularly important.

What Happens If You Miss the Date?

Order anyway if you still want the piece.

We will pack it, dispatch it and give it every chance of reaching you as quickly as possible.

Just be aware that once the recommended ordering date for your destination has passed, Christmas delivery becomes increasingly difficult to predict.

If it arrives in time, wonderful.

If it does not, at least discontinued china rarely goes out of fashion between Christmas Day and New Year.

Our 2026 Christmas Ordering Dates at a Glance

UK: 10am, Sunday 20 December 2026

Europe & USA: 10am, Sunday 13 December 2026

Australasia & Rest of World: 10am, Sunday 6 December 2026

We will continue dispatching orders after all of these dates wherever possible, but if having your order before Christmas really matters, we strongly recommend ordering before the relevant deadline.

Because while finding the missing gravy boat is impressive...

...finding it on 24 December and expecting it to travel halfway around the world overnight is asking rather more of everybody involved... even Santa!