AUSTRALIA Post has reported record highs in the lead-up to Christmas, delivering almost 111 million parcels across November and December.
The result is up 7.6 per cent on 2024 and is being attributed primarily to a growing trend towards online shopping.
November saw an early surge in online shopping, with the cyber sales weekend driving record sales.
That period resulted in Australia Post’s busiest delivery day on record, with more than 3 million parcels delivered on Monday 8 December alone.
The organisation said 7.9 million Australian households shopped online in November and December, representing an increase of 300,000 households compared to the previous year.
Standout shopping categories included “athleisure” (up 24.7 per cent year-on-year), women’s fashion (up 21.2 per cent year-on-year) and department stores (up 15.7 per cent year-on-year).
On a national basis, Point Cook in Victoria was among the top three postcodes for online shopping while Richmond and Geelong ranked among the highest users of Australia Post’s speed services.
Parcel, post and e-commerce services executive general manager Gary Starr said Australia Post delivered 3075 parcels every minute and 2 million deliveries a day for more than 30 days.
“These results are the product of months of detailed planning, continued investment in our operations and network capacity, and the extraordinary effort of our team members nationwide – working around the clock to keep parcels moving when it matters most,” he said.
“What stands out most…is how much our customers have shaped the way we operate.
“Their need for greater reliability, easier ways to manage deliveries, and a more seamless online-to-doorstep experience have shaped every enhancement we’ve made.
“We’ve listened closely, and those insights have helped deliver one of our strongest peak performances yet.
“As we turn our attention to the year ahead, we’re already preparing for the next peak period and identifying new ways to support our customers in a fast-evolving e-commerce landscape.
“Retailers brought sales forward earlier than previous years and shoppers responded in force – with cyber-weekend sales rising 6.3 per cent year-on-year as Aussies increasingly seek out smarter, value-driven ways to shop.”
In other indicators of demand, 5.7 million people used the AusPost app to track their parcels with more than 119 million app visits.
