Shopping online isn’t always as cheap as it’s cracked up to be. That’s because those delivery charges soon mount up as you jump from website to website placing orders. To be honest – it’d be a little like paying an exit fee every time you left a store at your local shopping centre (and who would stand for that?!) In reality, there’s no such thing as a cheap online shopping spree and with Christmas on the horizon, that’s not great news!
Revolutionising delivery charges
So, Australia Post has decided to do something about it by introducing a revolutionary new product to the online retail space called Shipster.
In a nutshell, Australia Post’s Shipster brings unlimited free deliveries for online shoppers in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane when ordering from over 40 big-brand retailers. The only catch – delivery charges for each item must be under $20, purchases must be over $25, and subscribers must pay a monthly fee of $6.95 once the single-fee $9.95 trial ends in January next year (sounds fair enough).
The timing is perfect
And it’s perfect timing. Not just because Australia Post says online shopping has increased from 11.5% to 15% in the last 12 months alone – but because Amazon will finally arrive in Australia within a matter of weeks and they’re preparing for some stiff competition in the Australian retail and delivery space. So far, some of the biggest retailers partnering with Shipster are, Kogan, Harvey Norman, Cotton On, and Booktopia (which usually charges $6.95 to deliver any book).
It’s shaping up to be a smart and timely move for a national postal service often criticised for not keeping up with the times. Although it’s similar to Amazon’s Prime service which sees Amazon customers paying a monthly fee for added delivery benefits – it’s looking like Australia Post has an even more robust strategy up its sleeve.
Could Australia Post be ahead of the curve?
Shipster’s current portfolio of 40 supporting retailers is a work in progress for the service as it hopes to get even more online retailers on board in the coming months. According to reports, almost half (48 per cent) of Australia’s retailers are completely unaware of the Amazon Prime service which offers customers free and fast deliveries.
The introduction of Shipster hasn’t come along in isolation either. As part of Australia Post’s wider strategy to help Australian retailers take on Amazon in the online retail space, Shipster complements the 500 click-and-collect delivery lockers Australia Post has placed at Woolworths supermarkets across the country – taking aim at faster and more convenient deliveries.
So, could Australia Post be pulling out the biggest trump card we’ve seen so far in the online retail space – one that even Amazon can’t compete with? We’re talking about choice and the plethora of Australian retail options Shipster looks set to offer online shoppers in the coming years.