Australia Post to launch digital mailbox service this year
Australia Post has announced plans to launch its own digital mailbox service later this year, offering every Australian their own free account tied to a physical address. The plans were revealed yesterday just 11 days after a private sector consortium, involving US digital mailbox specialists Zumbox, announced its plans for a secure Australian digital mailbox service.
The Australia Post offering would similarly allow banks, utilities, government agencies and other large mailers to switch their transactional mail to the digital channel.
Consumers would be able to receive their statements and bills by accessing the platform on any PC or mobile device, said Australia Post, as well as making payments online and setting reminders.
The Australia Post Digital MailBox would also offer a “digital vault” for secure storage of digital documents.
Promotional material is already positioning the service as a platform for helping consumers to manage their daily lives, under the slogan “life. managed”.
“The Australia Post Digital MailBox will allow businesses, government and customers to communicate through a secure online portal that can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, wherever they are,” said Australia Post Chairman, David Mortimer.
“Just as the traditional letterbox has been a vital part of people’s communications for the past 200 years, we think a personal digital mailbox for every Australian is the perfect complement to the letterbox in this online revolution.”
Australians can already register for the new digital mailbox service at auspost.com.au/digital-post.
Retail superstores
Australia Post is bringing post office retail into the modern era with its “superstore” concept
As it prepares its digital postal offering, Australia Post is also in the process of transforming its retail network with 30 new “superstores”, the second of which opened today in Melbourne.
The superstores offer traditional postal counter services alongside 21st Century innovations like self-service kiosks and parcel lockers allowing 24-hour access to services even when the main post office is closed.
Australia Post said its new superstores would also help it to engage with the Internet generation thanks to in-store Apple Macs, iPads and digital screens to allow customers to shop or research online, arrange their parcel delivery electronically and navigate key products and services.
But most important will be the expansion of access to parcel delivery services for those engaged in e-commerce. The superstores’ 24-hour parcel lockers are being provided on a trial basis by Australian company TZ in partnership with US firm Pitney Bowes. Kiosks in the superstores are being provided by self-service retail technology firm NCR.
“With our parcel volumes growing a staggering 13 per cent since July last year due to online shopping, our superstores are where people’s physical lives will connect with their digital lives,” said Australia Post Managing Director and CEO, Ahmed Fahour.
“With online shopping booming, Australians have told us they want to be able to collect their parcels at a time and place that suits them. Parcel locker trials at three post offices in Australia resulted in 3,300 customers signing up to use them. Now, we’re extending parcel lockers to a total of 10 sites, with plans for a national rollout to further expand this service,” said Mr Fahour.
More superstores will open later this year in Werribee and Collins Street West, Melbourne; Cairns and Capalaba in Queensland; Queanbeyan, Shellharbour City Centre and North Sydney in New South Wales; Launceston, Tasmania; and West Perth, Western Australia.
