Australia Post opens US e-commerce market to Australian consumers

Australia Post has launched a new service allowing Australians to shop on US websites and have items shipped home. ShopMate will allow Australian consumers to shop on US websites that do not currently ship to Australia.

The company said it has launched the service in time for Christmas as Australians currently spend $15.7bn on online retail purchases each year.

ShopMate offers Australians access to the largest e-commerce market in the world, where $482.6bn in sales are made each year.

The service provides consumers with a delivery address in the United States to use when shopping on US websites. Once items arrive at the US address, Australia Post notifies customers and ships them back to customers’ Australian addresses in about five to eight business days.

Australia Post said the service comes with free customs and duty document preparation for items under $2,500 (USD) in value, with items tracked as soon as they reach Australian shores.

Kelly Heintz, the general manager for Parcel Post at Australia Post said the new offering was developed in response to changing customer needs and the global nature of e-commerce.

“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,” she 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.”