Aramex: Committed to keeping delivery on track

CEO of Aramex Australia Peter Lipinski describes how the network adapted during the pandemic, how Aramex has supported SMEs and why the ‘new normal’ is an opportunity for companies to introduce new and diverse delivery models.

“It’s been a big year for Aramex Australia. We are currently completing our national rebrand from Fastway to Aramex.

Aramex acquired Fastway Couriers Australia and New Zealand in 2016 and the rebrand marks the final milestone of the acquisition which is delivering exciting opportunities and growth for the business and our franchisees.

In the midst of our national rebrand we experienced unprecedented social distancing measures and government regulation in response to the global health pandemic.

Aramex Australia has however risen to meet the challenges and growing demand in delivery generated by COVID-19.

Our network quickly adapted to the new landscape to ensure our business and each of our franchisees could keep deliveries on track.

We are so proud of the steps we have taken and are incredibly proud of our franchise partners, couriers and staff for going above and beyond in these unprecedented times to deliver for our customers.

Despite the government regulations, strict social distancing measures and significant increase in demand, Aramex Australia has continued to operate, continued to exceed customer expectations and continued to successfully roll out our national rebrand.

With more people working from home, delivery has never been more important. It has also generated a massive spike in online shopping and therefore an increase in demand.

The Aramex Australia business has reported a record increase in deliveries in recent months with over 48% more than this time last year. We have been seeing many more home deliveries and customers delivering care packages to friends and family. Our network has reported a 100% increase in wine deliveries. Other products with significant increases include pet food, flat pack furniture and exercise equipment.

A global health pandemic creates many challenges for transport and logistics. The main challenge is adapting quickly to meet growing demand whilst taking the steps to protect the health and safety of our franchisees, staff and customers.

As a core part of the delivery chain, Aramex’s staff, Regional Franchisees and Courier Franchisees are going above and beyond to keep parcels and deliveries on track.

We have acted on the recommendations from the Federal and State Health Departments on protecting the health and safety of our people and customers and will, of course, continue to take action as required.

To help stop the spread and protect the health and safety of our couriers, staff and customers, we have implemented a new system to enable contact-free deliveries.

Communication is key and we have been providing regular updates to our staff, customers and couriers.

Our online delivery portal has been instrumental in enabling our contact free pickup and delivery. Aramex Australia also has a network of more than 850 Parcel Connect outlets nationally providing a convenient drop-off and collection point for parcels.

Couriers have been encouraged by the chorus of thanks and appreciation shown them by consumers adjusting to new work-from-home and social-distancing policies.

Surge in e-commerce

With more people isolating and working from home e-commerce has been given a turbo boost in recent months. While many of these people had not ordered online before we expect a large majority of them will continue to do so in the future. Further acceleration of e-commerce growth in Australia presents many opportunities to enhance the integrated delivery solutions for B2C customers.

Convenience is king and we know consumers and customers are always on the lookout for the most flexible solutions. At Aramex Australia we are on a mission to meet this demand.

At the core of our business is a focus on innovation and technology.

Our Blu Couriers crowd sourced delivery platform is a wonderful example of this enabling us and our Couriers to scale up and meet growing demand.

Right now, there is an opportunity to introduce new and diverse delivery models and provide more choice for consumers and customers. Aramex is focused on ensuring we continue to constantly evolve to deliver the best, most convenient and tailored solutions to our customers and consumers.

Small business support

Aramex is so proud of the support we provide for small businesses.

The rise of online shopping has presented some exciting opportunities for small businesses, particularly for retailers. At Aramex Australia, we love helping our customers take advantage of these opportunities to capitalise on the growth of e-commerce.

In recent years we have been investing in tools and resources to ensure we continue to deliver the best and most efficient solutions for our customers.

Accessing the Aramex network unlocks some exciting opportunities for e-commerce retailers including international shipping to over 220 countries across the globe. Our customers get to take advantage of this global network but without having to compromise on excellent local customer service.

Aramex provides Australian businesses with a delivery partner that can cope with the demands of peak seasons like Christmas or even a global health pandemic. Our Blu Couriers technology allows our franchisees to tap into the sharing economy to scale up their delivery capacity during busy periods.

Our customers also have access to a suite of services to help them save time, money and optimise success.

Our online delivery portal is an excellent example of this. It’s simple and easy to use and makes life so much easier for our customers! In less than 5 minutes they are set up, ready to upload funds and print labels.

The portal seamlessly integrates with many of the popular e-commerce platforms such as Shopify and Magento.

The seamless experience and convenience of our online platform is enjoyed by thousands of Australian businesses particularly online retailers. From cart to customer we are the proud delivery partner of choice for Australian e-tailers.

Our Parcel Connect service for example taps into the diverse business hours of local businesses to provide a close and convenient drop off and collection point for parcels. Busy customers can now drop off and collect their parcels at a time that suits them using one of 850+ Parcel Connect locations in communities across Australia. We are seeing growing demand for our Parcel Connect service particularly from smaller business customers who benefit from the savings and convenience of sending parcels from a Parcel Connect agent while also providing their customers with a convenient and safe solution if they are not home to receive the delivery.

Aramex is also currently in the pilot stage of a new click and collect service with some of our partners and are exploring different ways we can provide our customers with even more convenience.

Australia’s recovery

Logistics is going to be crucial to a successful recovery for Australia and Aramex is committed to helping keep delivery on track.

As retail, hospitality venues and other businesses begin to reopen, we expect to see another significant spike in delivery across the nation in coming months.

Our national and international Aramex network is fully operational. We are ready to meet the increase in demand as Australia commences its road to recovery.

Our 800 plus Courier Franchisees delivering across 28 regional franchise networks, have adapted to the new landscape in recent months and have been going above and beyond every day to deliver the goods that Australians need during these challenging times.

Our Couriers have been there for customers throughout the challenging social distancing measures and we look forward to continuing to support our customers in the next stage of recovery.

Going forward

Aramex Australia is committed to doing what we can to keep Australian businesses and deliveries on track as the economy recovers from the health crisis.

We will continue to follow the recommendations from the Federal and State Health Departments and take whatever steps are necessary to protect the health and safety of our customers and staff.

We know delivery demand will continue in coming months as businesses begin to reopen their doors. I expect that now more people have been shopping online while working from home, the rapid growth of online shopping will be accelerated in coming months and years.

Our focus is on providing the best tools and support to our franchisees and couriers to ensure they can continue to meet growing demand and deliver the best solutions for our customers.”

About the author

Peter has been leading the Aramex Australia group since he was appointed as CEO of then Fastway Couriers in December 2016.

With over 20 years’ experience in senior positions across a range of industries, his experience and reputation for driving innovation through product engineering and a focus on ensuring the best possible customer experience makes him uniquely qualified to lead Fastway’s transition to Aramex and beyond.

From pioneering new delivery models, products and services such as Blu Couriers and Parcel Connect, to guiding a smooth brand transition, Peter has successfully positioned Aramex as a key player in an industry that must constantly evolve to meet growing e-commerce demands.

*Please note this article was written in June 2020.