*This post originally appeared on the Wavelink blog prior to the rebrand in January 2017, when Wavelink, LANDESK, Shavlik, AppSense, and HEAT Software merged under the new name Ivanti.

how does santa deliver all those gifts? wavelink steps infographic'Tis the season for warm coats, hot drinks, and holiday shopping. Children everywhere are penning their wishlists for Santa, requesting everything from Barbies to Hot Wheels to a new baby brother or sister (good luck with that one, parents!).

And while Santa is known for being efficient—especially in one hot cocoa-fueled night on a magical sleigh—even the youngest kids know that what he does is a bit... well, impossible.

But he doesn't do it alone.

Here are some of the ways in which Santa pulls off his once-a-year gift giving extravaganza.

He hires extra help (elves)

According to both the Wall Street Journal and Time, some of the biggest retailers are hiring workers in the thousands to help with the demands of the season. Amazon leads the pack with upwards of 120,000 holiday workers. Macy's comes in at 83,000, Target at 70,000, Kohl's at 69,000, FedEx at 50,000, JCPenney at 40,000, and Toys R Us at 10,900.

People want doorstep delivery as opposed to chimney delivery

You have two options: Wake up early and drive to a packed store with a bunch of other shoppers all vying for the same coveted item; or sleep in, pull out your laptop and add something to a virtual shopping cart. Which do you choose?

The convenience of online shopping keeps many people on their computers at home—slippers and all—rather than facing the crowds in person.

Amazon Prime users now outnumber regular Amazon users with a total of 63 million. You can even get same-day delivery!

Total online sales are projected to reach 94.71 billion this holiday season, increasing 17.2 percent from last year.

So whether you're shopping online or braving the crowds in person this year, we want to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday!