An Post predicts 40% increase in online shopping tomorrow

An Post is forecasting a 40% increase in our online shopping with Britain as Black Friday approaches.

The postal service believes that Irish shoppers are not only making the most of the bargains to be found online tomorrow but also the sterling/euro exchange rate post-Brexit.

“Customers are taking full advantage of sterling exchange rates and we’re forecasting a 30-40% increase in online shopping from the UK this Christmas,” a spokesperson said.

The postal service, through their handling and delivery of many online-bought items, has seen their business soar over the last number of years.

“Shopping online is now a regular, everyday aspect of the purchasing behaviour of Irish consumers.

“We have seen double-digit growth over many years.

“Irish customers are savvy shoppers who demand good value, good choice and simple, reliable delivery and return options,” the spokesperson told the Irish Examiner.

In order to meet the growing trend of online shopping from foreign e-tailers and the subsequent delivery needs, An Post set up a new service.

They recently launched AddressPal, which helps online shoppers save on shipping fees when purchasing items bought outside of Ireland.

Consumers must first register online before they use this service and it is from the volume of registrations that An Post also made their estimation about the 40% increase in online shopping.

“This [the increase] is also reflected in new AddressPal.ie registrations which have increased by more than 40% in the past month, and we can see customers making regular purchases post-registration,” the spokesperson said.

While Black Friday tomorrow and Cyber Monday next week signal the start of Christmas shopping, the postal service has in fact already seen a growth, in the number of items they are delivering, since late summer.

An Post usually delivers about 2.3 million items a day but already that figure has grown to 2.7 million with early bird shoppers.

One problem regularly encountered by consumers buying online is the sky-high fee some e-tailers charge to ship to Ireland. People can end up forgoing a bargain because they will not buy the item due to the shipping cost, meaning Black Friday will be of little value if you are hit with a fee like this on your online purchases tomorrow.

However, AddressPal by An Post, which allows consumers to avoid this snag, is “thriving” since its launch.

When you use the service you can buy at the normal domestic rate in Britain and you are instantly given a unique delivery address there, as hosted by the Irish postal service.

You are then asked to decide which local post office An Post should deliver your shopping to.

The fee is €3.50 per item, payable when you collect your item, which can be done six days a week.