After opening a pilot flagship store in Brisbane late last year, Australia Post has decided it will opening 30 superstores across the country, in addition to giving a free Australia Post Digital Mailbox for every Australian.
The 30 superstores are in direct response to the 10 million Australians now shopping online, which resulted in Australia Post delivering an extra three million parcels during Christmas last year.
The new superstores will have a 24-hour zone with vending machines, parcel lockers and self-service terminals, as well as a Harvey World Travel store, an American Express currency exchange outlet and a concierge to help customers
"With our parcel volumes growing a staggering 13 per cent since July last year due to online shopping, our superstores are where people's physical lives will connect with their digital lives," said Australia Post Managing Director and CEO, Ahmed Fahour.
The 24/7 zone will give customers around-the-clock access to post and collect parcels, pay for postage, purchase stamps and packaging products, pay bills and use an Australia Post ATM.
"With online shopping booming, Australians have told us they want to be able to collect their parcels at a time and place that suits them. Following successful parcel locker trials in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane we are now extending parcel lockers to a total of 10 sites, with plans for a national rollout to further expand this service.
Bridging the divide between physical and online shopping, the superstore will have Apple Macs, iPads and digital screens to allow customers to shop or research online, arrange their parcel delivery electronically and navigate key products and services.
To help small to medium businesses take advantage of the online shopping boom, Australia Post will open a further 16 dedicated Business Hubs around Australia by the end of June, in addition to the seven that are already open.
Meanwhile, Australia Post said its Digital MailBox will allow businesses, government entities and customers to communicate through a secure online portal that can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
"Just as the traditional letterbox has been a vital part of people's communications for the past 200 years, we think a personal digital mailbox for every Australian is the perfect complement to the letterbox in this online revolution," Australia Post chairman, David Mortimer, said.
The second superstore opened in Melbourne. The next superstores will be in Werribee and Collins Street West, Melbourne (VIC), Cairns and Capalaba (QLD), Queanbeyan, Shellharbour and North Sydney (NSW), Launceston (TAS) and West Perth (WA).