The holidays are the time for sending presents to all those people who are dear to us who don’t live nearby. But shipping perishables can be tricky business. And there’s nothing worse than shipping something delicious to your friends or loved ones, only to hear that it had turned into a melty mess on their doorstep by the time they came home.

harry & david gift basket

Here at Harry & David, we do our best to ensure that all of our perishable gifts arrive in perfect, pristine condition and stay that way. We pack our gifts with care, ship them temperature-controlled trucks, and during the summer months, we send out our gifts in specially insulated shippers with ice-gel packs for chocolates or cheesecakes to keep them cool and delicious.

how to pack and ship food gifts so they arrive safely takes a little finesse. Harry & David is an expert in shipping gifts, having refined their process over the last 80 years of business.

So, if you’re shipping gifts that contain perishables during the holidays, here are some tips to keep in mind.

  • Make sure to ship perishables early in the week. Packages sent on Thursday or Friday can end up spending the weekend in warm warehouses. No good.
  • If the food needs to stay refrigerated, be sure to include dry ice or frozen gel packs.
  • Wear gloves when handling dry ice. No gloves is no good.
  • Send frozen or refrigerated food in airtight containers (plastic snap-on lids or zip-top bags are ideal). This reduces the possibility of spillage while en route.
  • Place the cold food in an insulated foam cooler. This will help regulate the temperature during shipping.
  • Put the cooler into a sturdy cardboard box and fill all the extra space with packing material (packing peanuts, etc.). This will prevent the cooler from shifting and help to maintain a constant temperature.
  • Use plenty of tape when closing up the box. You don’t want it popping open in transit.
  • Write your recipient’s address very clearly. Also, be sure to add things like “contains dry ice” and “keep refrigerated” on the box with permanent marker.
  • Ship your package with someone who does overnight shipping. Opting for delivery confirmation is also a good thing, so you’ll know that someone actually picked up the package you sent.
A gift basket from Harry & David is packed and shipped with care. Guaranteed to arrive in perfect condition.

Of course, you can always let us take care of your shipping needs. Whether you’re sending a gift internationally or within the United States, all of our gifts are backed by the strongest guarantee in the business.

Author

At Harry & David, we deliver expertly crafted delight.

2 Comments

  1. Avatar photo

    ?owd?, I do think your w?bsite might be having br?wser compatibility problems.

    Wheene?er I look at your website ?n Safa?i, it looks fine however
    whewn opening in IE, it has some ov?rlapping issues.

    I simply w?nted to p?ovide you with a quick hewds up!
    Other than that, wonderful blog!

    • Avatar photo

      Thanks so much for the feedback! We’re planning to update our blog theme next year and your input is valuable in supporting that effort. Thanks again and happy holidays!
      Kind regards,
      Stacy
      Blog Team Member

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