Interpac Business and Migration Solutions Melbourne Australia

(October 10. 2011)

Online shopping is new "core" business for Australia Post.

Australia Post has unveiled a raft of changes to its parcel delivery and operational structure to meet the challenge of the online shopping boom including parcel lockers to pick up goods bought online, self service machines for domestic parcels and special eBay low-cost satchels and boxes.

Announcing the changes this morning, Australia Post chief executive Ahmed Fahour said these new initiatives represented a transformation that would benefit millions of people who now shop online.

Under the new changes, customers will have the ability to collect parcels from an initial 100 extended-hours locations across Australia and access parcel lockers 24 hours a day.

Mr Fahour said online shopping was a "new core" for Australia Post as the organisation was transformed to cope with the internet and digital capabilities.

He said 70 per cent of the volume of its parcel business was generated by "a mouse click" and generated $1 billion in revenue.

The changes to Australia Post systems announced today include new 24-hour-access electronic parcel lockers trialled in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

Competitive pricing to capture the growth from internet shopping will see the launch of an eBay low-cost satchel and box priced at a low flat rate anywhere in Australia.

A new technology will electronically track products between the United States and Australia, with more international destinations to be added in the future.

Australia Post will upgrade 60 business hubs to focus on small to medium business activity.

Australia Post will also work with Australian retailers regarding their online ordering and payments through its securepay business and shop-in-a-box product.

A key thrust of the new systems are the 24-hour parcel pick-up lockers, which Mr Fahour said was important as work and time pressures meant customers could often not pick up their parcels during conventional working hours.