Australia Post has delivered an online shopping bonanza in the past financial year with a record 9.3 million Aussie households buying online – up from 9.1 million the previous financial year. Online purchases grew almost 12 per cent.
The six months from July to December 2021 were particularly strong as the pandemic drove Australians to eCommerce. An average of 5.6 million households made an online purchase each month in FY22, 1.5 million more than the average in FY20. New South Wales, which experienced extended lockdowns last year, grew more than 27 per cent year on year (YOY) and had the highest participation per share of population, accounting for around one in three online purchases.
“More than a billion parcels have been delivered via Australia Post’s online parcel management platform since its launch in 2016,” said Rose Yip, Australia Post’s Head of eCommerce Analytics. “The growth in online shopping accelerated beyond expectations throughout the pandemic. We saw more than 900 million parcels delivered in the last three years alone.”
Increased capacity
With more than five million households shopping online every month, Australia Post has increased its network capacity.
“We’re also investing in more new facilities, technology and our fleet to set up a strong and sustainable network for the future,” Yip said.
Popular online buys included pet products (up 38 per cent YOY), tools and garden items (up 29 per cent) and products from major and discount stores (32 per cent). Baby products and athleisure items were also in demand.
Recent end of financial year figures showed that online sales of athleisure, sporting and outdoor goods were all up on the previous month.
