Everyone talks about the rush on deliveries at Christmas but did you know that in December 2020 alone, Australia Post alone delivered 52 million packages? That’s the equivalent of two parcels per person… and from a single provider.
While we don’t have the figures yet, it’s expected that December 2021 will surpass that number.
Australia Post has expanded its working hours, hired hundreds of extra drivers, chartered additional planes and opened temporary facilities so it can deliver tens of thousands of parcels every day in the leadup to Christmas.
At EFS, we get to see just how busy things are when we visit our freight solutions partners. Warehouses are absolutely bursting with parcels right now… it’s easy to understand why some goods have unfortunately been stuck in transit for over a month. Everyone is doing their best but unfortunately, there have been backlogs caused by staffing shortages, border closures and other covid-related issues.
If you’re wondering what’s happening with your deliveries, here are some freight and logistics-based numbers to keep in mind:
- Australians spent a record $50 billion in online shopping last year and will top that amount in 2021
- 1.57 million parcels were delivered by Australia Post each day in August 2020 (average), which was partly due to 170 per cent year on year growth in online purchases.
- Home and garden, food and liquor and variety/department stores all experienced close to or more than 200 per cent growth in delivery demand in 2020.
- 9.2 million households shopped online in October 2021 thanks to the COVID lockdowns (an increase of 14 per cent when compared to pre-pandemic levels)
- Australians spent $5.4 billion in the recent Black Friday sales, a great deal of which involved online orders.
- Amazon Australia has hired over 1,000 workers to help keep up with surging orders over Christmas
- The ACCC has reported that shipping costs have quadrupled over the past year
- 30,000 trucks cross state and territory borders daily in Australia
It’s also frustrating to know that more than 80 per cent of transport industry employers are experiencing a shortage of heavy vehicle drivers and general drivers. This issue will hopefully ease in the new year as migrants return to Australia.
Important dates for Christmas 2021
With Christmas approaching, it is essential to communicate with customers about cut-off dates for deliveries.
These are the recommendations from Australia Post:
- To send a parcel within Australia (Parcel Post): December 13
- To send a parcel within Australia (Express Post): December 20
- To send a parcel to/from Western Australia and/or the Northern Territory: December 8
- To send a Christmas card within your state: December 20
- To send a Christmas card interstate: December 16
If you need items delivered after these dates, there may be another freight solution. Talk to our team about your options.