Australia Post delivered more than 40 million parcels in December, making it the biggest ever month for parcel volumes in the organization’s history and an 11.7% increase on the previous December.
According to the post’s chief operating officer Bob Black, more than 3,000 extra staff were employed across the network during the festive period to handle the increased volume.
“We made more than 40 million parcel deliveries in December, and our hardworking posties delivered more than 40% of these, as well as more than 210 million letters,” Black added.
“Our busiest day was Monday, December 17, when we delivered a record three million parcels across the country – by far the biggest day in our history.
“What we didn’t expect was to have a lot of shoppers race to the finish line to post their festive parcels, with our people delivering a whopping 2.7 million items on Christmas Eve – our next busiest day of the month and equal second busiest day in history.”
According to Black, Australians are embracing online shopping, with online purchases growing by 20% in 2018.
“Our research found that people were buying up to 19.2% more items online. By 2020, we expect one in 10 items will be bought online,” Black continued.
“Online shopping is building momentum as a channel of choice, where customers can make the most of online deals and choose customizable delivery options with Australia Post. This means online shoppers can buy the brands they love no matter where they live.”
