Start thinking about Christmas now, warns Australia Post boss

Loading

Australians have kept up their e-commerce shopping habits from the pandemic, with $62.3 billion worth of goods bought online in 2021, according to Australia Post.

The carrier is expecting to handle 1 billion parcels a year by 2032, compared with 526 million in 2021.

That jump in volume will mean retailers, logistics companies have to reckon with sustainability challenges, he said.

“If we double the size of the business we have today, we as an industry need to have a solution for that. Going [to] electric [vehicles] is also part of that solution, but how do we as Australia Post, as the largest player, use technology to synchronise our networks?”

Better use of digital systems and data could help the logistics sector deliver parcels more efficiently – avoiding situations where different parcels ordered a couple of hours apart arrive as separate deliveries, Graham said.

“I think we need to look at the economics of [product] returns, and we need to look at the sustainability of materials.”

He said consumers were increasingly considering minimising the environmental impact of deliveries.

“Behaviour is changing and people are thinking about sustainability much more.”

The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning.