Price-competitive and more efficient than post office WHEN IT was launched in May 1994, PostNet was described in the media as a private sector alternative to the SA Post Office.
And this led to a sigh of relief in many quarters, where the basic SAPO services were proving inadequate.
The PostNet product defined it, according to m.d. Ian Lourens, as a postal and business centre with target markets in the SOHO (small office/home office) sector; national corporates which need to make use of specific services at any one time; and the institution and association market (educational, sports and religious, for example).
The company provides three categories of product, according to Lourens.
The postal service includes mail-box rental and the forwarding of mail and parcels through SAPO.
The courier service offers intra- and inter-urban, and international products - with a choice of same-day through to a 3-day economy service. A recent launch was the PostWorld brand. This product, said Lourens, offers the opportunity of by-passing the SAPO, and dispatching mail anywhere overseas - at a price competitive to a similar service of the PO - but vastly more efficient. The third category is that of business services. In this are the likes of copying; design and printing (business cards and specialised stationery are two examples); a range of document-production services; general communications (phone, fax, e-mail, Internet and telephone rental are included); and stationery supplies (especially specialised parcel packaging).
The success of the US-founded, franchise concept is evident in the 300 PostNet stores in the home country, and outlets in eight other countries as far apart as Brazil, SA, the Caribbean and Canada - with negotiations in place for the Pacific Rim, the Middle East and Australasia, according to Lourens.
To date, he said, there are 81 PostNat stores trading throughout SA. This represents nearly three stores opening each month since inception.
