Australia Post debuts 'next generation' post offices as parcel deliveries boom
Australia Post will be ramping up its parcel collection process by introducing a post office entirely dedicated to parcels as online shopping continues to boom.
Australia Post Parcels is a focused post office that allows customers to collect their deliveries, return and send parcels at any time.
The service, which is opening in Fitzroy in Melbourne and Waterloo in Sydney, aims to streamline parcel collection, as well as sending and returning deliveries, with the help of 24/7 self-service desks and parcel lockers, which can be accessed with a one-time entry code via the Australia Post app.
Those wishing to send or return parcels can access a vending machine stocked with packaging, stamps and other postage-related essentials, which are accessible 24/7.
There will also be six to eight Australia Post employees on-site to assist customers at the post office, with trading hours extended to support growing customer demands.
Australia Post executive general manager of retail, brand and marketing, Josh Bannister, said the new services would be a game-changer for Australians as parcel collection frequency increases.
'The number one reason why a customer visits a post office is to collect a parcel, so it's logical that we're making (Australia Post Parcels),' he told NewsWire.
'We're continuing to see the growth in parcel volumes, and this is really about moving with the customer and changing customer expectations to focus on a more seamless parcel experience.'
He said more Australians are choosing to shop online than ever before, accelerating the need for easier parcel collection.
'(Australia Post Parcel is) designed around how people use the postal network today, especially in response to the e-commerce boom,' he said.
The dedicated post offices will feature a wall of parcel lockers, which are free to use and accessible 24/7.
'We're also looking at extending trading hours for assisted lodgements, and the lodgement of a parcel will be exactly the same as our customers are used to at our full-service post offices,' Mr Bannister said.
Online shopping rates are continuing to grow across the country, with a record number of households shopping online every year.
Australia Post research found 9.8m households turned to e-commerce in 2024 – a 2.3 per cent increase from last year.
The majority of online shoppers are Millennials and Gen Z, who made up three-quarters of the demographic.
'With Aussies shopping more online than ever before, we're evolving our network to keep pace with how our customers are using postal services,' Mr Bannister said.
As part of the trial, Australia Post has opened two Australia Post Parcels services available for customers in Victoria and NSW, one in Fitzroy and Waterloo.
However, there are plans to open further dedicated parcel centres in Chadstone in Melbourne, St Leonard's in Sydney and in the Gold Coast.
There are currently no plans to open Australia Post Parcels in regional areas, instead focusing on the metro regions of the country.
'We'll be monitoring how the trial locations perform and how and when customers use them and that will help us refine leanings,' Mr Bannister said.
'What we're really doing here is we've got a focused parcel experience to make it easier and more seamless for customers collect, send and return their parcels.'
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