Online shoppers are being urged to start buying their Christmas gifts soon as Australia Post continues to struggle through the pandemic-driven boom.
Despite the festive season being three months away, the postal giant has already set the deadline of December 12 for those wishing to send gifts across the country.
The deadline was brought forward as a result of the online shopping bonanza this year which caused widespread delays.
Online shoppers are being urged to start buying their Christmas gifts soon as Australia Post continues to struggle through the pandemic-driven boom (pictured: People picking up parcels)
Despite the festive season still being three months away, the postal giant has already set the deadline of December 12 for those wishing to send gifts across the country
Australia Post Executive Manager of Business, Government and International Gary Starr told shoppers to start planning now if they want their parcels to arrive on time.
‘I urge people to plan and plan early. Who knows Christmas will bring. Last Christmas brought the bushfires and floods and we were just coming off our busiest period and then the pandemic hit,’ he told 7News.
‘We have planned as much as we can with our customers – and they are also struggling with bringing in inventory and merchandise to sell.
‘Planning is the bottom line.’
Australia Post is expecting the Christmas to be even more chaotic this year thanks to the pandemic-driven shopping boom (stock image)
Children wishing to pen a letter to North Pole will need to have it written and posted by November 26 (Pictured: A postie collecting packages during COVID-19 lockdowns over the Easter weekend)
Anyone buying online will have to get their orders in well before the December 12 cut-off date if they want to get their gifts wrapped and re-posted in time.
Parcel delivery has increased by 200 per cent in Australia thanks to the pandemic, which has resulted in massive delays.
Mr Starr said Victoria’s lockdown had created major problems as its processing facilities were reduced to just a third.
He said the backlog had now been cleared but warned shoppers not to be complacent.
‘There will be lots going on in November with sales like Black Friday, and people will want to take advantage of the sales,’ he told the Daily Telegraph.
‘We are hiring 4,000 more people to help us through what we know will be our busiest Christmas ever we’ve ever seen in terms of online shopping.’
Children wishing to pen a letter to North Pole will need to have it written and posted by November 26.
For those sending parcels abroad there is an even tighter deadline.
Source: Daily Mail AU
Australian shoppers urged to buy gifts online by the end of next month for Christmas
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