National carrier Australia Post has revealed it has had its busiest delivery day on record, with new benchmarks for online shopping being set across this year’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales period.
With parcel volumes surging 6.3 per cent year-on-year, more than 5.8 million parcels were processed in one day.
The most active cyber sales period to date saw 3.1 million Australian households shop online and spend approximately $1.5 billion online.
But what dominated the top segments for sales? Australia Post says there was a 42 per cent growth in athleisure sales, with books and stationery the second-highest performing category ahead of women’s fashion and department stores.
Despite a record-breaking Black Friday and Cyber Monday four-day period, sales momentum began well before the official start date of November 28, with retailers launching early deals, leading to parcel volumes growing significantly.
Across the country, New South Wales shopped the most online, accounting for one third of total eCommerce parcel volumes. Western Australia recorded the strongest growth in online shopping with a 10.8 per cent spike year-on-year, followed by Victoria and Queensland.
Australia Post executive general manager of parcel, post and eCommerce services Gary Starr says despite deals starting sooner, Black Friday and Cyber Monday continue to be defining moments on the retail and shipping calendar.
“Our latest Quarterly eCommerce report found 50 per cent of shoppers had their sights set on Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, a trend clearly reflected in this record-setting sales period,” he says.
“We anticipate this surge to continue well up until Christmas, and to keep up with the demand, Australia Post has been preparing for another record-breaking delivery season.
“To support the increased parcel volumes, we’ve been heavily investing in our network with next-generation Post Offices, a new national electric delivery vehicle fleet, increasing our workforce and implementing weekend deliveries and extended trading hours. We are ready to deliver the magic this Christmas.”