NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Covid 19 coronavirus: Huge backlog of level 3 packages to start moving soon

By Dubby Henry
NZ Herald·
20 May, 2020 10:10 PM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

David Walsh Chief executive officer of New Zealand Post talks about the increase in parcel delivery. Video / Michael Craig

A record backlog of parcels from the start of level 3 is likely to start moving by the end of this week, CourierPost says.

Four weeks' worth of purchases were frozen during level 4, meaning in level 3 there was a surge of deliveries that overwhelmed courier companies across New Zealand.

CourierPost, which is owned by NZ Post, still has 150,000 parcels from the start of level 3 - almost four weeks ago - that haven't been delivered.

But it says those parcels will start moving through its system by the end of this week.

NZ Post chief executive David Walsh is deeply apologetic about the delays in CourierPost parcel deliveries. Photo / Michael Craig
NZ Post chief executive David Walsh is deeply apologetic about the delays in CourierPost parcel deliveries. Photo / Michael Craig
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

READ MORE
•NZ Post working around the clock to deliver thousands of parcels
• Teuila Fuatai: Wage subsidy arithmetic hurts couriers
• Businesses front impacts of NZ Post courier service delays
• Mother's Day rush: Courier's 'Four Christmases' of parcels backs up

In level 3 courier companies reported volumes similar to Christmas or more but without time to plan, while requirements like physical distancing, contactless pickup and delivery and other safety measures slowed things further.

Those measures eased in level 2 but there are still plenty of people waiting for their parcels - some ordered way back in level 4.

Last week CourierPost was still getting about 300,000 parcels each day, or 200 a minute.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Courier companies and retailers have begged customers to show them some grace due to the unprecedented circumstances and particularly not to take out their frustration on courier drivers or call centre staff.

NZ Post are dealing with increased parcel volumes during the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo / Michael Craig
NZ Post are dealing with increased parcel volumes during the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo / Michael Craig

NZ Post chief executive David Walsh offered his sincere apologies to customers still waiting.

"We're really sorry it's taking us so long to deliver these items, but hope that people understand that this influx was a one-off, unprecedented event."

In the first two weeks of level 3 CourierPost received more than 3.5 million parcels, Walsh said. More than 3.2 million had been delivered but they couldn't all move in one go. The company is processing 24-7 to catch up, with hundreds of extra vans and staff.

Discover more

Opinion

Freightways CEO Mark Troughear hits back at courier pay claims, delivery loads

22 May 12:59 AM
Small Business

One week to get a laptop couriered across Auckland - and still waiting

23 May 03:15 AM
Small Business

'Quicker to walk from Auckland to Wellington' than use NZ Post

23 May 07:33 PM
New Zealand

Ho ho no: Should I shop online for Christmas or not?

25 Nov 01:15 AM
NZ Post's East Tamaki distribution centre. CourierPost is working through a huge backlog of parcels following the lockdown and subsequent move to online sales for many companies. Photo / Michael Craig
NZ Post's East Tamaki distribution centre. CourierPost is working through a huge backlog of parcels following the lockdown and subsequent move to online sales for many companies. Photo / Michael Craig

Orders placed now will be moved through the network without being held - meaning they may arrive before something you ordered months ago. Walsh said customers could expect new orders delivered in 1-5 days, except deliveries into and out of Auckland which may take up to two weeks.

NZ Post chief marketing officer Bryan Dobson said last week he didn't know how long those volumes would last but expected CourierPost to continue to be busy at least until normal retail opened up again.

Aramex (formerly Fastway Couriers) also expects demand to stay high for months. Chief executive Scott Jenyns said for that reason the company was scaling up capacity with new franchises and recruiting couriers to its Uber-like transport network, Blu Courier.

Lockdown caused 'major log jam'

The issues with slow or absent parcel deliveries aren't all the fault of courier companies. Farmers' owner David Norman has given the Herald some insights into the problems big retailers faced - and he says the issues are likely to last for some time.

Most retailers' distribution centres are too full, making them less efficient, Norman told the Herald last week.

During level 4 Farmers couldn't stop the packages coming in, and as a result their huge distribution warehouse was well above capacity.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Farmers' warehouses are bulging with stock. Photo / Supplied
Farmers' warehouses are bulging with stock. Photo / Supplied

Once a distribution centre got more than 80 per cent full, "efficiency goes out the window", and product had to be double or triple-handled to get it to the right area.

Norman's been vocal in his criticism of the Government for not allowing his business to continue work during the lockdown.

Farmers wasn't allowed to operate its e-store in level 4 - a decision Norman called "ridiculous" given it was the size of three football pitches.

The distribution centre was by far the biggest in New Zealand and could easily have operated with 10m of social distancing per person, keeping 40-50 people working, he said.

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website

"Product never stopped arriving and now we have a major log jam," said Norman, who was spending his days on a forklift helping get the East Tamaki centre back to a manageable state.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

In level 3, distancing requirements slowed things down as only half the normal number of staff could "work the wall".

During level 3 social distancing measures caused major delays at Farmers' distribution centres. Photo / Supplied
During level 3 social distancing measures caused major delays at Farmers' distribution centres. Photo / Supplied

Because Farmers hadn't been allowed to work in level 4, orders placed before lockdown were frozen. In level 3, the pick wall and then delivery became sticking points.

The supply issue didn't just apply to e-stores - most distribution centres were over full and thus faced major control issues so there would be ongoing supply problems, he said.

Customers who were experiencing significant delays needed to accept that "these are difficult times and understand that the Government lockdown has caused the problem", Norman said.

By comparison Farmers' business in Australia - where e-stores kept operating during lockdown - had had very few issues.

Courier services and retailers are both struggling to get on top of the mountain of packages from lockdown and level 3. Photo / Supplied
Courier services and retailers are both struggling to get on top of the mountain of packages from lockdown and level 3. Photo / Supplied
Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

'You’re going to need somewhere': Boy racers call for change

24 Jun 08:19 AM
Crime

'Significant amount of blood:' Paramedics recount grisly scene in Wellington murder trial

24 Jun 08:00 AM
Premium
Opinion

Audrey Young: Rating David Seymour as Acting Prime Minister

24 Jun 07:58 AM

Kaibosh gets a clean-energy boost in the fight against food waste

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

'You’re going to need somewhere': Boy racers call for change

'You’re going to need somewhere': Boy racers call for change

24 Jun 08:19 AM

Police faced dangerous driving, fireworks and unlawful assembly perils at a Levin event.

'Significant amount of blood:' Paramedics recount grisly scene in Wellington murder trial

'Significant amount of blood:' Paramedics recount grisly scene in Wellington murder trial

24 Jun 08:00 AM
Premium
Audrey Young: Rating David Seymour as Acting Prime Minister

Audrey Young: Rating David Seymour as Acting Prime Minister

24 Jun 07:58 AM
Act leader David Seymour  on his Regulatory Standards Bill

Act leader David Seymour on his Regulatory Standards Bill

Engage and explore one of the most remote places on Earth in comfort and style
sponsored

Engage and explore one of the most remote places on Earth in comfort and style

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP