STAMPBOARDS - Postage Stamp Chat Board and Stamp Forum

Just saw an ad from Officeworks this morning on TV advertising their new parcel delivery service.

Had a look at their prices, they are going to be a serious threat to Australia Post.

https://www.officeworks.com.au/mailman


It looks like they offer fixed-price parcel delivery, with tracking, Australia-wide.

They say on their web-site that delivery times between capital cities is from 1 to 2 business days, so that is certainly competitive and suggests they'll air-freight things between cities.

So a 10kg parcel between metro Sydney and metro Perth with tracking and $500 compensation is $25.

Australia Post is a bit more expensive (the calculation was for a package of exactly the same size and 10kgs sent from postcode 2000 to postcode 6000).

Scott

OK, so there aren't as many Officeworks stores as there are Post Offices, but they do tend to be located within commercial districts and have much longer opening hours.

Their slogan at the end of the ad was something along the lines of 'don't wait in long passport application queues to post your parcels!'. That resonated with me as I was in a one hour plus queue at Epping PO last Saturday. There were two counter staff but one was completely tied up with passport applications.

The sad news of course is that this is another service that won't see stamps on our articles.


Scott

Over and unders. But it will certainly be a threat.

Ask their website what a large volume 22 kilo carton from one side to the other of Sydney or Melbourne or Brisbane or Adelaide or Perth costs,

Bet it is a TON more than $10.05.

Post costs to WA and NT are insane but intra capital city zones are insanely CHEAP.

As stamp collectors, even a $100 parcel, local or overseas is essentially free to the receiver if we use intelligent franking as most here do -

https://www.stampboards.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=29146

Glen

How do you come up with $10.05?

Zone 1 NSW. From anywhere and to anywhere within 50km of Sydney GPO.

$10.05 for 22 kilos any legal size parcel.

Next day delivery in 99% of cases. Free online PO tracking.

Trust me, I send 20 a week.

That is cheap.

The Officeworks delivery system seems cheap for delivering to further away like WA which is usually an expensive place to ship to.

Will have to wait and see what the transit times / customer service is like. -

Wesfarmers - The huge corp that own Coles, Harris Tech, Bunnings, Kmart and a heap of others also own Officeworks.

They will have a huge delivery network utilising a transport/courier company. They may have even bought into a courier network, like AP bought Startrack.

I don't use AP for anything heavy now and always use a courier as they are far cheaper, more efficient and deliver door to door.

Saw this at Officeworks last week, they have partnered with Fastway Couriers.

They won't deliver to post office boxes though.

It's a bit difficult to shove a chair into one!

I don't see their intent is to take on the post, but to offer just a convenient courier service for sending larger goods, including what you may have just bought online and now want delivered to the office (and cheap!).

By the way it's just $20 for a 10kg (cubic vol equiv or actual weight) delivered to anywhere in Australia (within reason) so that means $20 to Perth or Darwin.

They wont send one of Glen's 22kg packages - too big/heavy.

Allanswood wrote:By the way it's just $20 for a 10kg (cubic vol equiv or actual weight) delivered to anywhere in Australia (within reason) so that means $20 to Perth or Darwin.

They wont send one of Glen's 22kg packages - too big/heavy.

For many in business who CANNOT use stamps on mail like we can, the 10 kilo flat rate is a GREAT deal, and will really hurt AP.

They have got so greedy in recent years this was bound to occur. Parcels were the only place they made money and now that will be cut off at the knees. DUMB management.

I mail big heavy suitcases of stamp junk like this one from today, a lot of the time, and they are way over 10 kilos. Often over 20 kilos.

https://stampboards.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=63176

All good until you are not at home to receive the parcel. Where is the collection point if you are not at home, and is there a fee to attempt additional deliveries?

You'd probably have to drive out to officeworks.

However this service I feel will be widely used by businesses sending mail to other businesses, so people not being at home won't be too much of a problem...

For those overseas, Officeworks is a large stationery store which sells a lot of office equipment, computers, cameras and office materials.

Tassie_Stamps wrote:You'd probably have to drive out to officeworks.

However this service I feel will be widely used by businesses sending mail to other businesses, so people not being at home won't be too much of a problem...

For those overseas, Officeworks is a large stationery store which sells a lot of office equipment, computers, cameras and office materials.

Officeworks would be very convenient. Early open, late close. I am more concerned that it could be held at the courier partners central depot. Not so convenient if there...

And how long will this price last?

At just $20 to send 10kg from Hobart to NT I can't imagine the service being very profitable?

furballx wrote:Officeworks would be very convenient. Early open, late close. I am more concerned that it could be held at the courier partners central depot. Not so convenient if there...

I remember in Toronto having to pick up stuff from the depot of a domestic courier owned by the post office called Purolator. And also mailing something through Fedex. In both cases the locations were a real nuisance to get to.

Sounds like this new courier is aiming to be a B2B (business to business) service, just as most bike couriers are in a CBD.

Tassie_Stamps wrote: However this service I feel will be widely used by businesses sending mail to other businesses, so people not being at home won't be too much of a problem...

.

If the minimum charge is $11.00 I doubt they'll be sending any letters.
edit: found the min charge.

It's a parcel service.

Where did I say it was for sending letters?

Must be a Apple Isle thing, I don't call "sending mail" as tossing parcels at each other!

AFAIK AP have an iron clad legal MONOPOLY to send and handle LETTERS.

Parcels however, are open slather.

Until a couple of years back their parcel rates were so fair and attractive, no-one would even dream of competing on that score.

Indded PARCELS in recent years is the only area AP has made money.

NOW, under Fahour's Folly, and his obscene and even increasing rates, where it literally costs more to mail a parcel cheapest ROAD method Sydney to Alice Springs, than to FLY there taking it with you same day by plane, these savvy operators can see a market niche.

Officeworks is owned by Wesfarmers.

Wesfarmers Limited is one of Australia's largest public companies and one of Australia's largest retailers. Its headquarters are in Perth, Western Australia.

Wesfarmers is the largest private employer in Australia, with more than 200,000 employees across the country. AP could not have allowed a more dangerous competitor to emerge.

They own a vast array of companies and businesses, and even if they need to LOSE money for 2 or 3 years to get traction on this, it will not bother then.

They own - Bunnings Warehouse, Coles Supermarkets, Bi-Lo, Pick 'n Pay Hypermarket, Coles Express, Coles Central, Liquorland, Vintage Cellars, 1st Choice Liquor Superstore, Officeworks, Officeworks BusinessDirect, Harris Technology, Kmart, Kmart Tyre & Auto Service, Target, Curragh Queensland Mining, Wesfarmers Premier Coal, Bengalla Mining Company, Wesfarmers Insurance, Crombie Lockwood (NZ), Koukia, Blackwoods, Protector Alsafe, Bakers, Total Fasteners, Bullivants, Wesfarmers Industrial & Safety NZ, CSBP, PB Workwear, Australian Gold Reagents, Wesfarmers Kleenheat Gas, Unigas, Wesfarmers Kleenheat Elpiji, Wesfarmers LPG, Coregas, Air Liquide WA, Gresham Partners Group, Wespine Industries etc.

So moving boxes around this country they are pretty experienced at!

Global Administrator wrote:Bi-Lo, Pick 'n Pay

Guess the USA's shovellers of schlock, Walmart and Target, won't be entering the Down Under market--looks like Wesfarmers has that segment well-covered with store names like those. Maybe the Americans could export their brilliant bit of retail industry innovation, Smash 'n Grab.

I guess AP will counter this in thier normal way by increasing prices!

Yes it will be a threat to Australia Post. Unfortunately it will disadvantage us country folk in rural NSW and the like.

The only advantage I can see from it is that Australia Post might bring its prices down and won't have a complete monopoly ? Or is that wishful thinking.

And of course, there will be 0% chance of any stamps on the Officeworks parcels,
thus further threatening Australia's already uncertain philatelic future of modern postally used etc.

rochan2010 wrote:
And of course, there will be 0% chance of any stamps on the Officeworks parcels

Not so sure.

Global Administrator wrote:

rochan2010 wrote:
And of course, there will be 0% chance of any stamps on the Officeworks parcels

Not so sure.

Surprised to see the 'Adopted and Adored' stamps in the picture are denominated 70c, whereas the actual stamps are 60c!

Chris - well spotted!

I'm surprised to see Officeworks selling ANY current stamps.

To get them at a discount they'd have to be a 'Post Office', but they are in intense competition with the Post Office.

Weird indeed.

Global Administrator wrote:

rochan2010 wrote:
And of course, there will be 0% chance of any stamps on the Officeworks parcels

Not so sure.

That's good news indeed, let's hope people / businesses avail to that.

Hi all,

Could see AP open at 7am, close at 7pm, 7 days a week.

My LPO thinks that all the Coles Supermarkets will become involved. That will give a lot more ease of access to the service.

They are not going to use any Australia Post stamps on any of their parcels. Why would they give AP any profit and also pay for the stamps? They could print their own labels for that - which is what they have done.

These parcels require a printed bar coded addressed label affixed - that's what you are paying a flat fee for (or preordering) - the labels.

If they happen to sell any stamps then thats just being helpful to the office supply section as there won't be much profit in retailing a box of stamps that you paid on or near full face for. (I'm actually surprised that they do).

Its nothing new, just a another convenient way to send a parcel. Couriers have been around (such as Fastway themselves) for years doing it already.

By supplying stamps, officeworks keeps their customers out of the Post Offices who also sell other office related goods. Even if they don't make anything on the stamps themselves, they will make it up on other good as well as supplying the service.

Smart business really.

It would be nice if they could add a nice design to the labels. Could open up a new collecting area!

"Mailman" is such a great working name.

fletches1 wrote:My LPO thinks that all the Coles Supermarkets will become involved.

If they do, the service will become extremely popular I think. Handy for eBay sellers who don't want to pay AP a fortune on heavy parcels.

However I hope Coles take on enough trained staff to handle it, they have self serve checkouts these days and less staff than before.\

Some items you buy on eBay can be picked up at your local Woolworths store if you choose that option, our supermarkets are branching out into many new things.

For pickups, no staff required and no training needed. They use large blue multiple door parcel lockers that are computer controlled. Your delivery is sent to you and looks like it sits in a secure parcel locker until you enter the code to opens that particular door.

They can roll it out across the country, wherever they can get permission to install the locker system - shopping centres, Coles, Bunnings etc. The stores don't even need to be open if they get into a shopping centre.

In the past 2 weeks, MAILMAN have stepped up their TV ad campaign heavily, in Sydney at least.

Those imbeciles at AP who are taking 3 weeks to deliver parcels to the next suburb, are handing much of the parcel trade to them on a silver plate.