Subscribers to Amazon Prime could place orders for festive presents via safe shopping online as late as 10.59PM on the 24th of December and still get their goods delivered in time to avoid disappointment, according to an announcement from the firm last week.

So long as customers live in an area where Prime Now same-day delivery is offered and are willing to pay the £7.99 premium for the sub-60 minutes shipping, it could be possible to save Christmas in the event of any unforeseen disaster or indeed a bout of extreme forgetfulness.

This kind of last-minute delivery is not unusual throughout the rest of the year, but the fact that most retailers set stricter deadlines during the run-up to Christmas in order to cope with the sheer volume of products being ordered from across the country means that in the past it has been more of a challenge.

Amazon spokesperson Matt Knight said that part of the reason for rolling out Prime Now as an emergency e-commerce option on Christmas Eve is that last year the site saw plenty of orders being placed for festive products well into the early hours. This means that there is clearly demand for what Amazon is now offering to its customers.

As well as being available in London, it is also possible for Prime Now’s near instant delivery to be harnessed in Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle and Manchester, although there are some limitations even within these areas that should be taken into account on a case-by-case basis.

Other retailers are unlikely to be able to match Amazon on this front for some time, as it is not just about having the necessary delivery infrastructure at their disposal but also the warehousing and distribution tech to back it up.