The real question is not simply when to order. It is how many steps stand between the purchase and the moment the recipient needs it.
Map the full path
choosing between convenience and personal wrapping based on timing, distance, and the recipient. Count store-to-you delivery, your own handling time, any second shipment, and the recipient's travel or event date.
Separate simple from complicated gifts
A gift handed to someone locally can stay on a different timeline from a package crossing the country or moving through two households.
Build in breathing room
Carrier volume, weekends, weather, and address corrections can all affect timing. A buffer is easier to create early than recover late.
Think about when the gift will be used
For an experience gift such as The Tomte Cake, the best arrival date may be well before Christmas Day so the family can actually make it part of the season.
The goal is not to make Christmas more complicated. It is to make one part of the season easier to enjoy and easier to remember.