Australia Post has launched its new ShopMate service that enables Australian online shoppers to purchase from US retailers who do not normally ship to Australia.
Items purchased from US sellers by Australians can now be delivered to Australia Post’s own warehouse facility located in Portland, Oregon which are then forwarded to Australia for delivery to local addresses.
Total delivery times are expected to be nine days or less and users are charged a flat fee. Australia Post is also able to facilitate payments in US currency for purchasers whose credit or bank cards are not accepted in the USA.
Kelly Heintz, General Manager, Parcel Post said ShopMate was created to meet changing customer needs and reflected the global nature of ecommerce.
“We know that Australian shoppers want access to international brands and products that are not available locally, but importantly they also want an international delivery and payment service they can trust,” Ms Heintz said.
“With record numbers of Australians now shopping online, we're committed to providing consumers with trusted delivery services and secure online payment options for shipping, no matter where they purchase their items from.”
According to the recent NAB Online Retail Sales Index Australians spent $15.7 billion on online retail purchases in the last year and this is expected to grow, particularly in the electronic games and homewares sector.
The USA is the second largest ecommerce market in the world, with estimated sales to reach up to $482.6 billion this year.
To cater for the extra workload leading up to Christmas Australia Post has announced that weekend parcel deliveries from local and international senders commenced at the beginning of November.
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