AusPost breaks delivery volume records

Australia Post has revealed that it completed more than 37 million parcel deliveries during December 2017, the busiest month in the organisation’s 209-year history.
According to Bob Black, Chief Operations Officer and Executive General Manager – eCommerce Delivery at Australia Post, more than 2,000 extra staff helped the postal service handle the record volumes.
“We made more than 37 million parcel deliveries in the four weeks leading up to Christmas, that’s almost 20 per cent more deliveries per day compared to last year making 2017 our biggest festive season ever,” said Black.
“On average our drivers and posties made more than five deliveries per household across Australia, making it a huge team effort.”
In the final week before Christmas, Australia Post delivered more than 11 million parcels, and more than 100 million greeting cards and letters. Several days in the week before Christmas recorded increases of more than 30 per cent across Premium and Express services.
Black said Australians also embraced Australia Post’s range of delivery options, including weekend deliveries and extended trading hours, as well as parcel redirections, parcel pick-up directly from Australia Post facilities, and ‘safe drop’, whereby residents can nominate a safe place for parcels to be left at their property when they are not at home.
The unprecedented parcels volumes started in November, after the Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Click Frenzy sales, and continued into the New Year.
“Retailers now offer great deals online during the Boxing Day and new year sales, which have always been popular with Australians,” said Black. “It’s very much all hands on deck still, we’re still seeing record volumes through our network due to some amazing sales.
Overall, online shopping purchases in Australia grew 15 per cent in 2017 compared with 2016, Australia Post shared.