All Lake Effect boxes ship from Milwaukee, Wisconsin via USPS Priority Mail. Most US addresses arrive in 2–3 business days. We hand-pack every box; we don't ship pre-stocked inventory.
Shipping rates
- Standard (USPS Priority Mail): $9 flat for orders under $75. Free for orders $75 and above.
- Expedited (USPS Priority Mail Express, 1–2 day): calculated at checkout, typically $25–35.
- International: not currently available. Email us for special requests.
The summer climate-control surcharge ($4 of insulated mailer + gel packs) is built into our product prices May 15 – September 30. You will not see it itemized at checkout.
Hot weather shipping policy
Our products contain real chocolate. They will melt above ~80°F. To protect them:
- From May 15 through September 30, all orders ship Monday through Wednesday only. We do not ship Thursday–Saturday in summer because packages would sit in hot warehouses over the weekend.
- All summer orders include an insulated mailer with one or two reusable gel packs (frozen at packing).
- Summer orders ship USPS Priority Mail Ground only — no air transport, which heats up faster.
- If your destination forecast exceeds 90°F on the delivery day, we reserve the right to delay shipment until the next safe ship window. We will email you if that happens.
If your order arrives melted
Email hello@lakeeffectsweets.com within 48 hours of delivery with your order number and a photo. If the issue was caused by our packaging or fulfillment error, we will replace the order at no charge.
We are not responsible for melt caused by:
- Refusal of delivery or packages held for pickup beyond 48 hours
- Address errors entered at checkout
- Carrier delays beyond our control (weather, holidays, customs)
- Packages left in direct sun on a doorstep for extended periods after successful delivery
Holiday shipping cutoffs
For guaranteed delivery by December 25 in the contiguous US:
- USPS Priority Mail: order by December 17, 2026, 11:59pm Central
- Expedited Priority Mail Express: order by December 21, 2026, 11:59pm Central
- Last call (in-stock SKUs only): December 22, 2026, 11:59pm Central
Orders placed after December 22 will ship the first business day in January.
Order tracking
You'll receive a USPS tracking link by email the moment your box ships. Tracking updates can take 12–24 hours to appear after the label is created — that's USPS's lag, not ours.
Address changes
Need to update a shipping address after ordering? Email us as soon as possible at hello@lakeeffectsweets.com. If your box hasn't entered the carrier's network we can re-route. After USPS pickup, address changes are no longer possible.
Carrier and packaging
- Carrier: USPS Priority Mail (default). UPS Ground available on request for orders 5lb+.
- Insulation (summer): ULINE foil-lined insulated bubble mailer + one or two reusable gel packs.
- Box: two-piece rigid kraft gift box, ribbon-finished, hand-stamped card included.
- Outer packaging: kraft mailer or USPS Priority box. We do not use plastic peanuts or air pillows — packing material is corrugated kraft and shredded recycled paper, both compostable.