NZ Post asks Aucklanders to shop a little differently this Christmas

NZ Post’s parcel delivery service in Auckland is currently busier than it has ever been due to the current COVID outbreak meaning retail stores are closed, so we are asking Aucklanders to prepare for Christmas by shopping online a little differently this year.

With Aucklanders currently unable to shop instore while restrictions remain in place, recent demand for online shopping in Auckland has increased over 90% since before lockdown. In response to the demand, NZ Post has gone from delivering 440,000 parcels per week in Auckland to over 740,000.

“Our teams have been working incredibly hard to deliver for Kiwis while retail stores remain closed, we’ve brought on 800 extra people and are still recruiting 300 more, we’ve extended our operating hours and are processing 24/7, and we’ve re-designed our Auckland network to get parcels where they need to be as fast as we can. Our Posties are now helping out our Couriers too – delivering even more parcels alongside mail,” says NZ Post Chief Customer Officer Bryan Dobson.

“However, the unprecedented demand for parcel delivery means the number of parcels we have to deliver in Auckland has continued to grow, and there are limits on what we can physically do to increase our capacity to deliver. With the current COVID outbreak meaning we don’t know how long retail in Auckland will be switched off for, we all need to do things a little differently this Christmas.”

As we head into the busy Christmas shopping season NZ Post is asking for Kiwis, and Aucklanders in particular, to prepare to shop online a little differently this year.  “NZ Post has been delivering Christmas for more than 180 years now and we’ve got some tips to help Kiwis prepare and to make sure everyone’s shopping can arrive on time and not get stuck in a backlog.”

• Think ahead, start planning what you want and need to buy during the shopping season now.
• Make a list of what you need so you can place fewer, larger orders and reduce your shipping costs.
• Use ‘click and collect’ options with your favourite retailers wherever possible.
• Consider bulk buying items that you usually purchase online monthly or weekly into one larger order that can be sent in one go.
• Across the country NZ Post is currently delivering over 2 million parcels every week – that’s four every second. “Outside of Auckland, our delivery service is operating closer to normal. But we are still asking Kiwis throughout the country to plan ahead for Christmas and to shop a little differently by following our tips.”

“We are incredibly proud of how hard everyone at NZ Post is working to deliver for Kiwis. We’re grateful that New Zealanders are continuing to show our people kindness and patience as we do everything we can do get parcels where they need to be, while restrictions on instore shopping in Auckland remain in place,” says Bryan Dobson.

NZ Post’s latest eCommerce Spotlight report shows that New Zealanders have spent $1.7 billion online over the last three months, an increase of 22% on the same period last year. A big increase, that’s even more significant when you consider the fact that there were lockdowns in this quarter last year as well.

Auckland has had the biggest quarter for online shopping ever, with Aucklanders spending over $700 million online over the last three months, $122 million more than the same quarter last year, and a massive 51% increase on 2019.

The eCommerce Spotlight report shows Aucklanders have made 6.3 million transactions online in the last three months – that's about 70,000 online transactions every day – an increase of almost 30% compared to the same period last year, despite Auckland also having a lockdown in the corresponding period last year. All indications show that these trends are going to continue over the next three months in the lead up to Christmas.

We encourage customers to check www.nzpost.co.nz for the latest delivery timeframes and the most up to date cut-off deadlines for Christmas.

View the latest eCommerce Spotlight report into how New Zealanders, and Aucklanders specifically, are shopping online here ecommercespotlight.co.nz.

Limited interviews with NZ Post Chief Customer Officer Bryan Dobson available, please contact [email protected] to book.