Dubbo consumers are being told "for any critical Christmas items, it pays to shop early" this year.
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Australian Retailers Association chief executive officer (CEO) Paul Zahra says while people can be confident most items will be well-stocked for Christmas, "we are still in a pandemic and there will be supply chain challenges from time to time".
Dubbo stores have already reported of customers starting their festive shopping earlier this year.
The head of the retail sector's peak body offered advice about how to make it a happy season.
"For any critical Christmas items, it pays to shop early," Mr Zahra said.
"Some research and patience may be required, remembering retailers have worked extremely hard to make Christmas work smoothly for their customers."
He said there were a few factors that could impact stock levels in some areas.
Firstly, some buyers scaled back on orders early in the COVID-19 pandemic due to lockdowns, expecting retail across the country to be closed for some time, he said.
"However, everywhere except Victoria opened up relatively quickly and online shopping has been booming, so that is one factor," he said.
The Victorian lockdown also had an impact on the logistics process, with that state's warehousing and distribution centres working at reduced capacity, Mr Zahra said.
"With Victoria being the major national distribution hub for goods, the impact was felt across the country," he said.
The ARA boss says "we can be reasonably confident this year with sufficient planning there won't be any major issues" with shipping.
"If something is important to you, don't leave it to the last minute," Mr Zahra said.
"The COVID event has had an impact on customer deliveries.
"With online orders surging, it's putting pressure on our shipping and delivery providers.
"Earlier this month, Australia Post announced an historic recruitment drive, 4000 new positions to keep up with Christmas demand."
Mr Zahra suggested it was "beginning to look a lot like Christmas, but it may not be the typical Christmas that we're all used to".
"We're encouraging shoppers to get in early to avoid any disappointments on Christmas day," he said.
"A COVID-safe Christmas will require more planning for us all.
"From a safety point of view, customers can expect the same experience they are used to - including physical distancing, hand sanitizer, for larger stores - separate exit and entry points and some stores may have COVID marshals in place to help reinforce safety protocols and also protect staff and customers from anyone who is acting aggressively."
General advice to Christmas shoppers from the ARA:
- Planning is more important than ever this year.
- Consider getting in touch with your favourite store online and work out what you might be able to order early or even pre-order, either for online delivery or for click and collect. Or simply to ensure that it is in stock.
- Shop local - retailers will certainly thank you for shopping.
- CBDs are unlikely to be hectic due to a diminished shopping and working population - if the new restrictions allow it, consider making a trip to the CBD to have a 'lower density' shopping experience. And also to help out CBD retail which has been more badly affected by the absence of worker and visitor populations.
- With trading hours extended, consider carefully planning your trip around non-peak times.
- Be patient with staff and other customers - there may be a few lines, some items may not be immediately in-stock. Everyone is doing their best in a tough situation.
- Remember the latest date from Australia Post for delivery is December 12.
- In summary, plan and shop early, shop early, shop early!