Some may feel like Christmas is still a long way off, but the rush to prepare for the festive season is already well underway for retailers that rely on the spike in shopping activities to survive during the slower periods of the year.

In fact, more people than ever are expected to order their Christmas consumables via safe shopping online this year, which is why customers of both Ocado and Waitrose are being asked to arrange for delivery of their edible items by the 8th of October, according to the Guardian.

The companies contacted customers via email in order to alert them to the fact that reserving a delivery spot early will not only guarantee that everything arrives in time, but could even net them free delivery, providing they have decided to pay for a priority pass.

While items can be delivered up to the 20th of December, the point of this push is to ensure that people have booked well ahead of time, so that Ocado and Waitrose can organise what will invariably be a very complicated delivery schedule.

Some customers have been vexed by the fact that Ocado shoppers actually get first pick, since Waitrose is not opening its Christmas delivery system until October the 15th.

Rival retailers will also be looking to capitalise on the popularity of safe shopping online, because supermarkets have seen in-store sales falter while e-commerce activities are on the rise. And in order to encourage more people to order online, Tesco has become just one of the outlets to offer delivery on a subscription basis, rather than charging for each and every order placed.

Making Christmas ordering a priority bonus for loyal customers could work in favour of major supermarkets, although hiccups in the delivery process further down the line might sour the deal.