Aussie parcel delivery startup Sendle has set its sights on the US just five years since it launched locally.
The company has today announced its expansion into the US, designed to serve the needs of American small e-commerce businesses.
The Australian group hopes to tap into a massive US market; small businesses in the US send around 4 billion parcels every year, and the US e-commerce boom is predicted to be worth just under a trillion US dollars by 2023.
Sendle is fully operational now in all American states from today just in time for the Christmas holiday and shopping period.
The group hopes to disrupt the US market as fast, environmentally friendly delivery becomes more important than ever to nail for small e-commerce businesses.
Sendle co-founder and CEO James Chin Moody (pictured) says today's announcement is a major milestone for the Australian startup.
"We launched Sendle five years ago to give small businesses a real alternative, offering carbon neutral door-to-door delivery at affordable national flat rates," says Moody.
"By unlocking the power of big business logistics convenience and affordability for those at the smaller end of town we've been supporting the small businesses that are the backbone of the Australian economy."
"In that time, we've come to realise that the challenges of small business parcel delivery are pretty universal, which is why we are expanding to the US, where small businesses are under pressure to meet rising consumer expectations but struggle to compete with larger players who can absorb higher shipping costs. Similarly to Australia, our goal is to help small businesses thrive by making shipping simple, reliable and affordable."
Over the last 12 months Sendle have reported record growth in Australia, which it hopes to continue with its US launch.
In the last five years Sendle parcels have travelled more than 7 billion kilometres, and the company has facilitated more than a quarter of a billion dollars in small business e-commerce annually, while its customer base has grown by over 600 per cent.
The startup will continue to offset every package it sends in the US, so its small business customers can offer carbon-neutral shipping to all of their customers. The company also plans to offer the same compostable packaging that exists for its Australian customers, to its US customer base before the end of the year.
"While we recognise there's massive change needed in the shipping and logistics industry to achieve true carbon neutrality, waiting until 2040 to create real change is waiting too long," says Moody.
"We have created a shipping network that meets the needs of small businesses and addresses the impact that shipping has on climate change today."
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Business News Australia
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