Australia Post adds weekend parcel delivery for holiday rush

November 21, 2025 / Billboard Lifestyle /

Australia Post is reintroducing temporary weekend deliveries beginning on Saturday to ensure parcels arrive in time for Christmas ahead of an expected surge in online shopping.

Weekend delivery service will be available in all metro capitals and select regional cities and towns, the post announced on Thursday. Weekend delivery is one of several ways Australia Post is providing extra flexibility for customers during the holidays. The postal service has also hired thousands of temporary workers, expanded delivery options such as self-service parcel lockers, and extended hours at more than 300 post office locations.

“We’re already seeing an increase in parcel volumes across our network as retailers launch Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals early. Last year we delivered almost 103 million parcels in the lead up to Christmas and we’re anticipating similar volumes again,” said Gary Starr, executive general manager parcel, post and e-commerce services, in a news release.

Australia Post has recently opened several new-age parcel-focused post offices in major cities, with features such as 24/7 self-serve options and free parcel lockers designed to make it easier to send, collect and return parcels. Earlier this week, the mail operator inaugurated a next-generation post office in Queensland. It also continues to expand locations with parcel lockers to increase convenience for customers.

The corporation is also expanding its parcel processing capabilities with new ultra-modern sortation hubs and regional distribution centers.

Australians set a new online shopping record, spending AUS$20.7 billion, equivalent to $13.4 billion, for the July-September quarter, fueled by more frequent purchases and major sales events, according to Australia’s quarterly e-commerce report last month.

Online retail spending grew 15% year over year, and 6.2% sequentially, leading to projections for intensified shopping activity across the Black Friday and Christmas periods.

Online marketplaces remained the top-performing category, followed by food and liquor. At-home entertainment and lifestyle products, such as books, saw the biggest growth of any online category.

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