Major changes coming to Australia Post as it trials new 'concept stores' across the country
- Australia Post is launching new 'concept stores'
- They will have change rooms and sell local goods
Australia Post is trialling huge changes to post offices across Australia.
The postal service will trial changing rooms in stores, so people can decide whether they want to keep or return unsuitable purchases straight away.
The new stores are also set to feature dedicated lines for parcel delivery, small business services and, possibly, banking and identity services.
The first store is set to appear in Orange, regional NSW, with other regional and suburban stores to follow.
Australia Post Executive General Manager of Parcel, Post and e-commerce services Gary Starr said the reimagined stores will help keep small community hubs alive as letter services continue to decline around the country.
Australia Post will launch new 'concept stores' this year after a federal review found its letter service is running at a multi-million-dollar loss
The new stores will feature changing rooms so online shoppers can easily try on their new purchases and decide whether to keep or return them
'We're testing a whole lot of new concepts.
For example, there's a change room so I can order online and have it delivered to that community hub post, try it on and if it's great, I can take it home, if not, then I can hand it straight back over the counter and it goes back to the retailer and I can get my money back quicker,' Mr Starr told News Corp.
'There has been a friction point for online shopping (with the hassle of returning items) but we do believe that will lead to greater, better sales for the online retailer and a more convenient experience for the consumer.'
He added the 'mini-mall' section will give small businesses a chance at wider exposure in their communities.
'It could be a local candle maker or soap maker and they can showcase their wares in the store and it gives them an offline opportunity they just don't have,' Mr Starr said.
It follows a damning federal government review of Australia’s postal services that found the Post's letter delivery services are running at a multi-million-dollar loss.
The federal review and 2023 Australian Online Shopping Report found 9.4million Aussie households spent $63.8billion online shopping in 2022
However, the review also found Australia's parcel services are booming with the Post's 2023 Australian Online Shopping Report backing up the data.
The report revealed 9.4million Aussie households spent a total of $63.8billion while shopping online in 2022.
Home and garden goods - particularly electronics and furniture - were the biggest spending categories at $18.7billion, followed by food and liquor at $13.1billion and variety stores at $11.6billion.
Victoria and New South Wales were the biggest online shoppers, followed by Queensland then Western Australia.
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