Finally the online shopping can take off for real in Australia!

The online shopping revolution can begin for real: Australia Post is making it much easier to pick up the stuff you´ve bought through the computer! Yihaaa.

It´s always been a mystery to me how people can say it´s so easy and convenient to shop online when you actually need to go to the post office in your hood before 5 pm, stand in a line and then try to work yourself through the ugly carbon packaging with scissors and an aching head, afraid of ruining what you´ve just bought. Aaaah. Shopping off line is so much nicer - you get it delivered in a fancy bag and you get to own your item immediately. Bliss.

But things are changing. Press release from Australia Post on Monday, 10 October 2011

"Australia Post Managing Director and CEO Ahmed Fahour said Australia Post's response to the internet shopping boom includes new delivery options such as the ability for customers to collect parcels from an initial 100 extended hours locations across Australia and access parcel lockers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with customers receiving email and SMS notifications when their parcel arrives.

"These new measures are additions to existing parcel services and come in response to a 10.9 per cent increase in parcel volumes over the last financial year - a figure which can be directly linked to Australians taking up online shopping in record numbers," said Mr Fahour.

The new services providing customers with more flexibility and choice include:

Extended hours for parcel collection

• The ability for customers to have their parcel delivered to a location of their choice from an initial 100 parcel pick up locations across Australia which offer extended hours with many open weekends.
• New 24 hour access electronic parcel lockers will be trialled in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Customers can collect their items 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and will receive a SMS notification when their parcel is ready for collection.
• New parcel lockers for Post Office Box holders in 24 locations nation-wide by the end of November with more to come.
• Trial of new self-service machines for domestic parcels and Billpay at five initial retail outlets, with many more to be operating across the country by the end of the financial year.

Competitive pricing and home delivery service

• Australia Post/eBay low cost satchels and boxes priced at a low flat rate to anywhere in Australia no matter how remote or far away.
• A new international tracked parcel product called 'Pack and Track international' which is a significantly cheaper option. This product offers tracked delivery between the United States and Australia with more international destinations to be added in the future and is available online from today and in retail outlets early next year.
• To the door carding requiring our drivers to leave a card under the door, rather than the letterbox, to ensure customers who are at home receive their delivery.

Supporting consumers and Australian retailers get online

• 60 upgraded business hubs across Australia focusing on small to medium business activity, with the first to be opened in Mount Waverley (Victoria) in November, and 20 to be launched by the end of 2012.
• Australia Post, in association with our partner Mailplus, is offering free Express Post product pick up for new customers during October and November this year.
• An online label printing service, Click and Send, that makes it simple for customers to send parcels by allowing them to print labels, pay for postage online and organise courier pick up, all from the convenience of home or work.
• Our flagship concept store opening in Brisbane in December, which will have a dedicated online shopping area, 24/7 parcel pick up zone and vending machines with stamps and packaging.
• Helping Australian retailers with their online ordering and payments through our SecurePay business and our Shop In A Box product, which is available online shortly.

"We're listening to our customers. Australians are receiving more parcels than ever and many of our customers are rarely at home during the day and find it increasingly hard to get to a post office," said Mr Fahour.

Thank you Muster Fahrour.

In Sweden this happened perhaps ten years ago, but still impressed with the Aussie post for following the trends...