Australia Post’s executive general manager of customer and commercial, Gary Starr, said the postal service was expecting a strong peak season for e-commerce deliveries as shoppers continue to hunt for bargains despite cost of living pressures.

“We also know there are fantastic opportunities for everyday Australians to take advantage of the many cyber sales in November, and we want to give everyone as much notice as possible so they can plan ahead,” he said.

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Courier operators are also expecting a strong Christmas season, but warn that delivery systems have been under pressure and this will continue due to extreme weather.

Rob Hango-Zada, the co-founder of shipping software company Shippit, said ensuring consistent delivery was a challenge for retailers in the face of the pandemic, flooding and bushfires. The company’s delivery data suggests even smaller amounts of rain slow down deliveries.

“What we have seen is that when we isolate [data on deliveries] for rain activity, deliveries take about 9 per cent longer to complete when there is heavy rain,” he said.

Hango-Zada said it was critical that retailers communicated any delays to delivery ahead of time, because consumers prioritise certainty over deliveries over receiving an item the next day. “People are more likely to want a reliable time frame,” he said.

Parcel delivery operator CouriersPlease said on Monday its data on consumer intentions suggests more than half of Australian shoppers plan to spend less on Christmas gifts this year. However, the group is still anticipating a strong festive surge and is forecasting increased online delivery volumes.

Based on 2021 delivery volumes, the group is expecting shoppers living in Melbourne’s central business district will order the most parcels this year, followed by Sydney’s CBD, with those in Adelaide’s CBD and in the Victorian suburb of Pakenham close behind.

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