Weekend deliveries on again as Christmas rush approaches

AUSTRALIA Post has reintroduced weekend deliveries to cope with an expected surge in online shopping in the leadup to Christmas.

The temporary deliveries started last weekend as Australia Post parcel, post and e-commerce services executive general manager Gary Starr emphasised their importance in ensuring that customers receive their parcels before Christmas Day.

“With the holiday season just around the corner, we know how important it is for our customers to receive their parcels on time,” Mr Starr said.

“By bringing back weekend deliveries, we’re not just meeting customer demand but hopefully making holiday shopping easier for everyone.”

Mr Starr said Australia Post had been preparing all year for the peak season and had recruited thousands of people to handle the work.

“Last year, we delivered nearly 100 million parcels,” he said.

“With the cost of living crunch, customers are expected to make the most of major shopping events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so we anticipate early Christmas shopping will drive another record-breaking year.”

The weekend deliveries will run right up until Christmas.

Australia Post has also continued to expand the locations of its 24/7 parcel lockers, providing even more delivery options, and it is encouraging people to download the Australia Post app to keep up to date with deliveries as they move through the system.

To ensure items arrive on time, parcels should be sent by Friday 20 December for most destinations in Australia, or by Monday 23 December if sending by Express Post.

People sending to or from Western Australia or the Northern Territory should allow a few extra days.

A complete list of sending deadlines, including international destinations, is available at auspost.com.au/christmas.

In other Christmas mail news, youngsters delivering their Santa Mail letters in person at their local post office will receive an immediate response from Santa in the form of a reply letter and a Pip the Koala ornament to hang on their family’s Christmas tree.

Children are being encouraged to write a letter to Santa sharing their Christmas wishes and put it in an envelope (there’s no need for a stamp or return address) and take it into a post office.

If their letters have already been mailed, they can still head into a post office to collect their letter from Santa and an ornament.

“We can’t wait to see the excitement on kids’ faces as they hand over their letters and receive their reply from the North Pole,” retail, brand and marketing executive general manager Josh Bannister said.

“We hope every child enjoys writing their letters as much as we enjoy helping Santa make their wishes come true.”

More information about the Santa Mail program is available on the Australia Post website.