With the current Covid-19 outbreak stretching the nation's courier services, NZ Post is urging Kiwis, particularly in Auckland, to shop earlier this Christmas.
With Aucklanders currently unable to shop in-store under Alert Level 3 restrictions, NZ Post said recent demand for online shopping in the city had increased over 90 per cent compared to before lockdown.
That means the courier service has gone from delivering around 440,000 parcels per week in Auckland to more than 740,000.
Nationally, more than 2 million parcels are delivered every week - about four every second.
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 per cent on the same period last year despite also having lockdowns.
Of this, Aucklanders spent over $700 million online over the last three months - $122 million more than the same quarter last year and 51 per cent more than in 2019.
The report also showed Aucklanders made 6.3 million transactions online in the last three months – about 70,000 online transactions every day – an increase of almost 30 per cent compared to the same period last year.
The growing demand is expected to continue in the lead up to Christmas.
Due to the heightened demand, NZ Post Chief Customer Officer Bryan Dobson said 800 extra staff had been brought on, with another 300 being recruited.
As well, operating hours have extended to 24/7 and posties have been helping couriers by delivering even more parcels alongside mail.
"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," Dobson said in a statement.
"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.
"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."
Dobson said NZ Post wants Kiwis to start thinking about what they want to buy for the festive season now, to make a list to make fewer larger orders and reduce shipping costs, buy in bulk and use "click and collect" options where possible.
"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," Dobson said.
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