eCommerce in August sets a high bar for the rest of 2021

eCommerce in August sets a high bar for the rest of 2021

eCommerce numbers in Australia were 24% higher in August 2021 than August 2020 and aligned with the Christmas volumes that were experienced last year.  

Ongoing lockdowns, material shortages and reduced accessibility throughout the pandemic has changed consumer behaviour and driven phenomenal growth in online shopping. Businesses are being forced to be fluid by rethinking their supply chains, materials, and how their products are made and accessed.

November and December is the busiest time of the year in Logistics. Businesses ramp up production to have inventory moved out by the Christmas break, and consumer purchases increase as November cyber sales and Christmas shopping begin.

In preparation for this, Carriers are hiring now more than ever, with AusPost recruiting 1600 additional permanent roles and 3300 casual roles to keep up with demand.

Planning ahead and having a multi-carrier solution to keep your freight moving will be some key components for businesses navigating their freight throughout a pandemic and the peak trading period.

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Navigating B2C freight – arming your business with the right tools

Navigating B2C freight – arming your business with the right tools

The current global environment has been challenging for businesses that have needed to adapt their business model and service offerings to continue to trade throughout the pandemic. Many businesses have introduced eCommerce platforms – as a way to combat lockdowns and restrictions – which has allowed them to continue trading and to stay connected with consumers.

One of the most significant areas that sees change when moving to an eCommerce platform is the business’s logistics. Businesses start needing to manage B2C freight on top of their existing B2B freight. This change presents challenges like shop integration, managing residential deliveries, product returns, packaging, and maintaining customer service satisfaction.

When businesses move to B2C deliveries, one of the biggest priorities is finding Carriers that are structured (and priced) to suit their freight profile – including servicing residential addresses.

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Planning your freight leading into Christmas

Planning your freight leading into Christmas

November and December is the busiest time of the year in Logistics. Businesses ramp up production in preparation for having inventory moved out by the Christmas break. Consumer purchases also increase as November cyber sales and Christmas shopping begins.

Since the COVID pandemic peaked in Australia in March, the demand in freight has been consistently at the same level that carriers see over November and December each year. Transport giant AusPost has seen a 170% growth in Victoria as well as an 80% growth nationally.

This sudden and consistent increase for freight services has put significant strain on the logistics industry. Usually, carriers have months to prepare leading into a peak freight period to ensure they have the workforce and facilities to handle this increase in demand, whilst also maintaining the service levels expected of them. In 2020, there was almost no notice at all. On top of this demand for services, Victorian depots have been instructed to decrease their workforce by 33% to adhere to operational restrictions put forward by the government.
Melbourne is home to the biggest container port in Australia which is a vital link to our National Supply Chain. As businesses rely heavily on the transport industry to navigate their products both nationally and internationally, freight and logistics services are recognized as essential to the Australian economy and will continue to trade under tighter restrictions.

During a press conference on Monday the 3rd of August, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed that “significantly different conditions” would be introduced for essential services to adhere to strict guidelines whilst operating during Stage Four.

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