Delivery driver shortage to plague Black Friday and Christmas period
As the busiest retail day of the year commences, and Australians move increasingly to online shopping, staffing shortages in the logistics sector mean that Christmas may come late for many this year.
The ‘Delivery Delays’ Report‘, by retail communications specialist Esendex, analysed data from job board Indeed to calculate the vacancy rate of the most common delivery job titles, and pinpoint the territories most at risk of delivery delays in the final month of the year.
The report found 3,000 vacancies for delivery driver roles, and 900 job openings for ‘picker packer’. The National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) has noted a critical driver shortage of 14.4% across the trucking sector, which dwarfs the national job vacancy rate of 5-6%.
The report also found over 300 vacancies for ‘Christmas Driver’ on Indeed.
This doesn’t bode well, considering e-commerce sales are projected to exceed $46 billion by the end of 2024.
According to the report, the Northern Territory faces the highest risk of delivery delays, with 34.8 job shortages per 100,000 residents – more than double the national average of 16.9. Western Australia had rate of 16.3 per 100,000 people, and one of the highest number of total vacancies, with 100 delivery drivers shortages.
Queensland had a comparatively lower rate of 13.8 per 100,000 residents, while the ACT had the lowest vacancy rate, with just 10.7 job openings per 100,000 residents.
Jonathan Walsh, general manager at Esendex Australia, said that “even a moderate number of vacancies in delivery jobs is something that businesses need to be aware of”.
Australia Post delivered close to 100 million parcels last holiday period, and expects to break records this year. The carrier has already started weekend deliveries to deal with the demand.
“We’ve been preparing all year for another busy peak season, recruiting thousands of new team members to ensure operations run as smoothly as possible,” Australia Post executive general manager of parcel, post and ecommerce services, Gary Starr, said.
“With the cost of living crunch, customers are expected to make the most of major shopping events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so we anticipate early Christmas shopping will drive another record-breaking year.”
The Australian Retailers Association predict around a quarter of small Australian retailers are taking part in this weekend’s sales events. Of those participating, 84% have engaged in these promotions previously, while an additional 26% are participating for the first time.
ARA chief industry affairs officer, Fleur Brown, said “this peak season trading period is more essential for retailers than ever, offering many discretionary retailers the chance to make up to two thirds of their annual profits”.
ARA is predicting a $69.7 billion boost in the lead up to Christmas, with $6.7 billion spent over the Black Friday and Cyber Monday period alone.
“Australians are stocking up on gifts early, with many shoppers choosing to tick off their Christmas lists by the end of this month,” Brown noted.
“While customers are being savvy with their dollars in certain areas, they also are showing increased spending across food and discretionary categories which includes sporting and recreational goods – proving that shoppers want to enjoy some little luxuries without breaking the bank.”
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Nathan Jolly is the Features Editor at Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
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