When to order Christmas corporate gifts.

Updated October 2026. Written by Flex Branding.

Christmas is the busiest time of year for branded merchandise. Decorators fill up, freight slows down and the last week before the shutdown is too late for almost anything custom. Here's how to plan so your gifts arrive on time.

Work backwards from the date you need them

Our typical turnaround is about 3 weeks from artwork approval, plus freight. Before that comes the brief, the quote, choosing options and signing off artwork, which can take a week on its own if approvals sit in someone's inbox. And December freight is slower than usual.

The safe rule: brief us at least 6 weeks before you need the gifts in hand, and have artwork approved at least 4 weeks before. For gifts handed out at a mid-December party, that means briefing in late October and approving artwork by mid-November.

A simple Christmas timeline

• 6+ weeks out: brief. Audience, quantity, budget and the date you need them.
• 5 weeks out: review the quote and mockups, choose options and approve.
• 4 weeks out: sign off artwork. Production starts.
• 1 to 2 weeks out: delivery, to one address or straight to each recipient.

Running late?

Rush jobs are often possible, but options narrow fast. Pick products and decoration that are quick to produce, keep the design simple, and tell us the hard date up front. If it can't be done well in time, we'll say so.

Gifts people actually keep

• Quality apparel like a hoodie or jacket people wear all summer.
• Drinkware such as insulated bottles and keep cups.
• Premium tech like chargers and headphones with a subtle logo.
• Curated kits packed in a branded box and shipped to each person.

Shipping to clients and remote staff

Gifts can be kitted and shipped direct to individual addresses, so you don't spend the last week of the year packing boxes. More on corporate gifts.