Parcel delivery service CouriersPlease (CP) commissioned a survey of an independent panel of 1010 Australians to uncover the strangest, largest or oddest-shaped items Australians have had delivered this year.
In the most pandemic news ever, the survey found that Australians are giving their local couriers a run for their money by ordering weird and wacky items.
According to the CP Survey, Australians have a habit of ordering strange things to their homes, as 77 per cent admitted they’ve placed a weird order.
Furniture and whitegoods topped the list of delivery categories, with trampolines, office equipment and outdoor BBQ settings among the more popular items online shoppers are having delivered to their home.
CP found that gym equipment, such as treadmills, weights and exercise bikes, was the second most popular category.
An array of pet supplies and toys are also popular delivery items among the population, with orders including kitty litter bags, bulk pet food and scratching posts, frequently dropped to doorsteps across the country.
Australians also admitted to having adult toys, framed artworks and bulky musical instruments delivered.
This suggests Aussies are willing to buy almost anything online.
Australians spent $45.2 billion online in 2020, and this is expected to increase in 2021 as a growing number of retailers shift their focus to eCommerce to meet demand.
Two-thirds of Australian consumers (57 per cent) admit it would have been challenging for logistics companies to deliver their items undamaged or intact. A larger proportion of 18-30-year-olds were more likely to empathise with couriers, at 65 per cent, compared with 50 per cent of over 50s. However, the vast majority of Aussies (86 per cent) believe it is reasonable to allow extra delivery time in order for their parcel to arrive safely.
The new research comes as restrictions and lockdowns are put in place across the country following increasing COVID cases and retailers prepare for one of the nation’s busiest sales periods, with end of the financial year sales currently in full force. In fact, Aussie shoppers are on track to spend $15 billion in the final 14 days of the current financial year alone.
Phil Reid, chief operating officer at CP, said: “Aussies are continuing to gravitate towards eCommerce as their preferred way to shop, and a growing number of brick-and-mortar retailers are making the shift to online to meet this demand.
“Online shopping tends to spike during the restrictions and lockdowns, as well as major retail events such as end of financial year sales, placing added pressure on retailers and couriers. As a result, orders may take longer to process, and delivery delays are likely to happen.
“It is important to reconsider ordering urgent items during this period and Aussies should allow one to two extra days for their order to arrive, even when selecting express shipping. Fragile or oversized items may also need more time and care to deliver guarantee a safe delivery than others.
Given the fact that such a large number of Aussies admit to having strange, oddly-shaped and oversized items delivered, retailers and couriers should prepare to process and deliver all manner of orders during the EOFY sales, and beyond.”
