Oamaru company takes innovative postal service to National

Oamaru company takes innovative postal service to National

Whitestone Post, the pioneering postal service that uses local taxis to deliver the mail, is ready to replicate its success in other regions through franchising. Murray and Liz Bell, from Whitestone Taxis, founded the registered postal service in May 2014 to provide financial relief for their taxi service.

“We’ve been in the postal business for nearly 3 years now, and results have exceeded our expectations,” Mr Bell said. “It’s a win-win situation – our taxi service is able to make a reasonable income from postal deliveries during otherwise quiet periods, and customers receive guaranteed 24-hour mail delivery within the town’s boundary.”

The service is designed as a CBD 24-hour mail service. Mail is picked up at the door, sorted and franked, and then delivered the next day. The company usually delivers within 12 hours, but guarantees delivery within 24 hours.

Delivery of a standard envelope business to business costs 80 cents with Whitestone Post, while business to personal mail costs $1. Whitestone post envelopes and stamps will soon be available in stationery shops.

Murray Bell is proud of what they’ve achieved and the collaborative relationship the company has with New Zealand Post. All mail destined for personal customers outside the CBD is handled by New Zealand Post, as is all mail for out-of-town delivery.

“We asked New Zealand Post ‘what can we do to help you?’, and together we’ve come up with a solution that puts the customer first. We’re returning to the old model of postal service – where everything was run locally,” Mr Bell said.

Whitestone Post is now preparing to move into other regions, with franchises expected to be offered across the South Island in about two weeks’ time. One benefit for franchisees is that they will not be required to invest further in the business, as all equipment is supplied.

“We’re excited to be able to offer the same reliable, quick service to customers in other areas. While it’s been very successful for us as a taxi company, the franchises will equally well suit any company looking to ‘add on’ to its existing business. A print or stationery shop would be an obvious example,” he said.

The process for seeking expressions of interest from potential franchisees will commence on 20th March 2017

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