Sendle: Micro-businesses…a significant portion of the e-commerce market

Sendle, Australia’s courier service for small businesses, has expanded its shipping services with its new Print In-Store feature. 

The service will enable small business senders and side hustlers to print labels and do returns at nearly 100 locations across the country and counting.

Small businesses, micro-sellers and personal shippers can access Print In-Store locations in metro and urban hubs across the country, spanning from Zillmere in Queensland to Mt Annan in New South Wales, Glen Iris in Victoria, across to Port Adelaide and Embleton in Western Australia. Print in Store is available at Sendle’s existing network of HUBBED drop off locations in Australia. 

“Micro-businesses and personal senders now make up a significant portion of the eCommerce market and we know that many of them don’t have access to a printer for shipping labels,” said Laura Hill, Managing Director of Sendle Australia. “Print In-Store is all about opening up and providing more options for small businesses and consumers, no matter where they are or what size they are, so that shipping is as simple and convenient as possible.”

One example of a marketplace that is taking advantage of this new service is pre-loved fashion company Vestiaire Collective, expanding its partnership with Sendle. 

Vestiaire Collective stands as the leading global app for exclusive pre-owned fashion. Founded with a clear mission to transform the fashion industry towards a more sustainable future, the company proudly partners with fellow B Corp, Sendle, to provide the community with more eco-friendly options for buying, selling, and shipping. The company says the new feature of printing and attaching shipping labels in-store aims to reduce barriers for newcomers to the pre-owned market, especially those without access to a printer at home.

Australia’s second-hand items economy is worth over $60B and will reach nearly $90B by the decade’s end. And according to Sendle’s mid-year SMB Health Check, an increasing number of SMBs are selling their products across multiple marketplaces. There’s no doubt the rise of online platforms and marketplaces, like Sendle’s partners eBay and Vestiaire Collective, have played a crucial role in democratising how personal senders and micro-businesses can participate in the market. 

“Sendle has been the preferred sustainable shipping partner for SMBs and side hustlers since 2014. Now we’re expanding to help personal senders and micro-businesses ship sustainably, too. We’re proud of our partnership with Vestiaire Collective, and our new Print In-Store feature will provide greater access to sustainable shipping solutions for their customers. As the C2C marketplace continues to grow, we are providing more simple and seamless shipping experiences to help shoppers embrace the resale fashion market,” added Hill.

The process is as simple as booking the order and choosing the “I’ll drop it off” option. Once the order has been confirmed, each parcel’s tracking page will have a QR code and the option to print the shipping label at the designated drop-off HUBBED location, where a staff member will affix it to the parcels. Access to Print In-Store can be checked via Sendle’s drop-off map. 

“Print In-Store is the latest example of how Sendle is listening to small business customers and rolling out shipping solutions they want and need. Following the trials, we’ve seen strong uptake among customers already and expect this to grow in the next 12 months,” concluded Hill. 

For more information, visit: https://try.sendle.com/en-au/print-in-store