Amazon lists December 22 as final cut-off date for Prime Christmas deliveries

Aussie shoppers have until December 22 to make their final online buys for Christmas with retail behemoth Amazon.

The delivery giant has marked the date as its cut-off day for Prime members to receive their orders before Christmas Day.

In a statement, the company said it expected Prime buyers in Sydney, Wollongong, Newcastle, Gosford, Melbourne, Bendigo, Ballarat, Geelong, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Toowoomba, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra to be able to purchase eligible items up to the Sunday to receive them in time for Christmas on the Wednesday.

“Non-Prime customers will be able to order select items as late as December 20 to have them arrive in time for the big day or select a paid delivery option for faster delivery where available,” the company said.

“Estimated cut-off dates vary depending on the item, shipping location and Amazon Australia’s network capacity, with expected delivery dates shown at checkout.”

The US giant, which boasts a market capitalisation of about $3.3 trillion, has built a 200,000sq m robotics fulfilment centre at Kemps Creek in western Sydney, promising expedited delivery times for goods sold on its online platform.

A second centre is expected to open at Craigieburn in northern Melbourne in 2025.

Amazon Australia country manager Janet Menzies said the company could ship “hundreds of thousands” of products from the December 22 date.

“The holiday season is as magical as it is hectic and we want to make it easier for our customers to enjoy the magic without the stress,” she said.

“Our late holiday cut-off dates mean that most last-minute shoppers are able to order as late as December 22 from hundreds of thousands of products.

“Fast and reliable delivery across a wide selection of products remains the cornerstone of our customer offering and an enduring priority for us and we have been investing in our operational network across Australia so that customers can rely on faster, seamless and reliable delivery during the holidays and beyond.”

The company said it had hired 600 seasonal workers to help pick, pack and ship customer orders across its fulfilment and logistics sites.

According to Roy Morgan research, 7.9 million Australians aged 14 years and over shopped on Amazon at least once in the 12 months to June 2024, an increase of 1.1 million customers on the previous year.

An Amazon Prime subscription gives customers free deliveries.

In a report from late October, consulting firm Accenture forecast Australians to spend an average of $613 over the holiday season, a 4 per cent lift from 2023.

But while spending was expected to rise, shoppers were growing cautious and hunting for deals, Accenture added.

Some 38 per cent planned to take the time to search for the best prices over the season, the company’s research found.

About 33 per cent also prefer to shop online rather than in physical stores to search for better prices and promotions.