AN POST HAS brought forward its latest dates for posting for customers who shop from large online retailers amid a threefold increase in the number of parcels it is processing this year.

The company has advised those who are buying items from online from large e-commerce retailers that it can only guarantee pre-Christmas delivery of parcels if orders are received by the close of business on 14 December.

Parcel deliveries with the company are at record levels, with 3.3 million parcels being delivered a week compared with around 1 million per week for the same time last year.

The increase in parcels in recent weeks has been driven by a mix of shop closures due to Covid-19 restrictions, online retail offers, early Christmas shopping and staggered start times among An Post staff.

However, a spokeswoman for the company stressed that the deadline applies only to large-scale e-commerce retailers and shippers and that smaller businesses and personal customers posting parcels and packages are not affected.

“Parcels from the big e-commerce retailers that come into us after 14 December will probably be delivered in time, but ‘probably’ is not good enough if something has to be there for Christmas Day,” a statement said.

“Everything that has been ordered already, will be delivered.”

The service added that 7 December is the latest date for posting parcels and letters with standard service to the United States, Canada, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

And 12 December is the latest date for European destinations, with 17 December being the latest date to deliver cards to Europe