The Iconic, Kmart online deliveries impacted by Australia Post delay

The Iconic, Kmart, Big W and other brands have dashed the hopes of millions of Aussies who are waiting for a lockdown parcel.

One of Australia’s largest online retailers has warned customers of “extended delays” to deliveries after Australia Post announced a halt to picking up orders.

The Iconic, said it was estimating delays of a week past original delivery dates, due to lockdown restrictions.

“As the situation evolves, with much of it beyond our control, we are unfortunately unable to advise an exact date by which you will receive your parcel – we are, however, currently estimating delays of approximately a week beyond your original expected date,” it said in an email to customers who had placed an order.

“We know this is far from what you expect from us, and we thank you for your understanding during the current conditions under which we are all living and operating.”

Back in July, the online fashion marketplace launched a same-day delivery service on Saturdays in response to the extended lockdown in Sydney.

Other retailers, including Kmart and Big W, have also warned customers about long delays. Kmart has even introduced new incentives to encourage customers to take up the click and collect option.

Australia Post revealed late on Wednesday that it was pausing collections from retailers in NSW, the ACT and Victoria for four days in an effort to clear a record backlog of parcels at Christmas level volumes with limited staff.

The pause will apply to Parcel Post collections from online retailers from 7am on Saturday to 7am on Tuesday.

“Australia Post currently has 500 people in necessary self-isolation, placing increased pressure on our network, while we also manage flight restrictions, temporary facility closures and parcel volumes as high as our Christmas peak period,” it said in a statement.

“This temporary measure will allow us to responsibly clear record parcel volumes in parts of our network impacted by Covid-19.”

Australia Post Melbourne Parcel Facility back in 2020. It’s experiencing Christmas like volumes due to lockdowns. Picture: Mark Stewart

Kmart is experiencing online delivery delays in NSW and Victoria of between two and five days depending on the item type and location, a spokesperson told news.com.au.

Australia Post’s announcement will lead to delays on upcoming orders too, they said.

“The length of delay will depend on how quickly Australia Post can process orders at the end of their pause. However we would expect delays of at least four days for orders placed on Saturday,” they said.

Given the extended lockdowns being experienced around Australia, Kmart revealed they would temporarily remove all click and collect fees from orders to enable customers best access to the essential products they need at this time, they said.

“We will also be offering customers the chance to get their C&C orders home delivered within a day for a discounted price of $5 using our Get it Fast service for the week from Friday to help support customers through this time,” they added.

The Kmart spokesperson asked that customers be patient when waiting for packages as the retailer experiences “significant growth in online shopping with our highest ever volumes online”.

Kmart is encouraging people to use the click and collect option where possible. Picture: Manly Daily

There has also been a significant increase in Big W’s online orders in NSW, Victoria and ACT due to lockdown restrictions, a spokesperson said.

“Australia Post’s announcement means some customers will likely experience delays with their home delivery orders. We would ask our customers to be patient as we work to minimise the delay where possible,” the Big W spokesperson said.

“If our customers are planning their online shop over the next week, we would encourage them to choose our free and contactless pick up or direct to boot service, if available at their local store, for a faster turnaround.”

But Myer was one retailer that wasn’t suffering with delivery delays.

A Myer spokesperson said the department store is continuing to see strong online demand from customers and don’t have any delays at this time.

“We do offer customers same-day click and collect which provide customers with peace of mind and is a great point of difference from other online only retailers,” they said.

A text sent to a Kmart customer warning of delays. Picture: Supplied

A Big W customer that is still waiting for their order to be delivered

Meanwhile for online marketplace eBay, buyers may experience delays with their orders due to Australia Post’s decision, according to eBay Australia’s Sophie Oninul.

She said the online retailer features 40,000 Aussie business and has around 12 million people visiting each month.

“We work closely with Australia Post to ensure the delivery estimates provided by eBay are as accurate as possible. The majority of items sold on eBay are tracked so buyers can check the status of their deliveries and buyers can also refer to our delivery estimates as a guide,” she said.

“If an item doesn’t arrive by the estimated delivery date, buyers can let the seller know that their item hasn’t arrived. Buyers are also covered by eBay’s Money Back Guarantee and can contact our customer service team if further help is required.”

During the current lockdown people are focused on staying entertained with crafts such as candle making up 368 per cent compared to last year popular on site, she added.

“Home DIY projects are taking off with power tools up 589 per cent year-on-year and with home schooling in full swing, educational toys are in demand up 5587 per cent year-on-year,” she said.

Australia Post is struggling to deliver orders as staff are forced to self isolate. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Joel Carrett

Acting CEO Rodney Boys added that border closures also made delivery difficult as passenger flights used to transport parcels were suspended or reduced.

“In our facilities having to social distance, the staff have to wear masks the whole time, staggered start times and shifts,” he told the Australian Financial Review.

“On any given day we would have about 500 people at home waiting for a negative test result before they get back to work. That has had a significant impact at a time when we are dealing with Christmas-like volumes.”