December is the busiest trading month of the year for most cafés, restaurants and retailers — which is exactly why it's the worst time to be waiting on a packaging order. Custom-printed cups, bags and boxes take time to design, produce and deliver, and every print supplier in the country sees a surge in Christmas orders at the same time. If you want branded packaging on your counter before the festive rush hits, the time to order is now, not in December.
Why Christmas Packaging Orders Need to Go In Early
Unlike a plain stock reorder, custom Christmas packaging usually involves new or adjusted artwork, sign-off, a production run, and delivery — each of which takes time on its own. Add in the fact that thousands of other UK cafés, bakeries and retailers are placing similar seasonal orders in the same eight-week window, and it's easy to see why print suppliers' schedules fill up fast as December approaches. Order early and you get your first choice of production slot; order late and you're competing for whatever capacity is left.
A Realistic Christmas Packaging Timeline for UK Businesses
Now (late September to October): Plan your range
Decide which items need a festive refresh. Most businesses focus on cups, bags and one standout item like a cake box or a set of festive stickers. Settling on your design direction now avoids losing weeks to indecision later.
Early-to-mid November: Finalise artwork and place your order
This is the key deadline. To comfortably have festive packaging in hand and ready to use before the December trading rush, aim to place your custom order by mid-November at the very latest. If your artwork needs design work or several rounds of approval, start that process even earlier — ideally in October — so it doesn't eat into your production window.
Late November to early December: Production and delivery
Once confirmed, your order moves through printing, quality checks and delivery. Ordering by mid-November typically gives enough buffer for your packaging to arrive well before the second half of December, when footfall and takeaway orders peak across the hospitality sector.
Mid-to-late December: Trade with confidence
Businesses who ordered early spend the final, busiest weeks before Christmas focused entirely on service and sales — not chasing a supplier for a late delivery or falling back on plain, unbranded packaging during their highest-footfall period of the year.
What If You're Already Behind?
If Christmas is approaching fast and you haven't ordered yet, don't panic — but do act quickly. Simpler items like custom stickers generally have shorter turnaround times than multi-colour printed cups, and can be a practical way to add festive branding to existing packaging if a full custom print run is no longer realistic. The sooner you reach out, the more options you'll have.
Two Seasons, One Planning Window
If you're also thinking about Halloween packaging, the good news is both seasons can be planned together right now — Halloween orders should go in by early-to-mid October, with Christmas orders following by mid-November. Handling both in one planning session saves time and means your packaging calendar for the rest of the year is sorted in a single conversation with our team.
Secure Your Christmas Packaging Slot
Don't let a late order be the reason your café, restaurant or shop looks unbranded during its busiest week of the year. Browse our paper cups, paper bags, cake boxes and custom stickers, or contact us today to lock in your Christmas production slot ahead of the November rush.