Buying power for community post agents
Group buying power for the general store behind a community postal agency, where one small outlet has to be the town's shop for a bit of everything.
Compete on price, keep your independence.
A community postal agency usually lives inside a general store, roadhouse or rural shop, providing basic postal services for a town that has no other outlet. The postal counter brings people through the door. What they buy while they are there is the business.
IBG gives community post agents access to more than 1000 approved brands across everyday tech, phone accessories, outdoor and camping, small appliances and homewares on group-negotiated terms, through one account, with no forced ranges and no minimums sized for city stores.
What independent community post agents are up against
The pressures this category puts on a store buying and operating on its own.
You are the only shop for a lot of things
In a small town the general store has to carry a bit of everything: a charger, a torch, a kettle, a kids' game, a cleaning product. Breadth matters more than depth, and that is hard to buy well one supplier at a time.
Freight and minimums are built for bigger stores
Brands set minimum orders and freight terms with metropolitan retailers in mind. A regional agent ordering a few units of many things pays the most for freight and gets the least attention.
Everything runs through one or two people
The owner serves the postal counter, the shop and often the fuel pump. Supplier admin, account applications and chasing back orders compete with actually serving the town.
Customers compare you with the city and the internet
Locals know what a phone case or a kettle costs online. If the store cannot get close, the sale leaves town, and so does the foot traffic that comes with it.
How IBG works for community post agents
The same pressures, answered through group buying power and hands-on support.
Breadth without a dozen accounts
Buy across tech, accessories, outdoor, small appliances and homewares through one IBG trade account, with central billing across most suppliers, so a general store can range widely without a separate account for every brand.
Order what suits the town
There are no forced ranges and no mandatory brands. You buy what your community actually asks for, in quantities that suit a small outlet, and any supplier-specific terms are explained clearly when you join.
Group pricing built on the network's volume
Pricing is negotiated on the combined volume of 350+ stores, not on a single agent's order, with supplier rebates where the program offers them, so a regional store gets closer to city and online pricing.
Advice for a business that does everything
Business advisory and category support from people who have run independent stores, plus a virtual assistant service for the admin, so the owner can spend the day serving customers.
How membership works
Four steps, and no obligation to change how you run your store.
Apply for membership
We take the time to understand your store, your categories and your local market, and confirm IBG is the right fit before anything else.
Get approved
Once approved, you unlock group-negotiated pricing, supplier rebates where available, the member B2B portal and the full IBG support team.
Order through the B2B portal
Buy across the network through a single account, with central billing across most suppliers, so you spend less time on admin and more on the floor.
Ongoing support
The IBG team helps you put group pricing, marketing, IT and category support to work for community post agents over time. There are no mandates and no forced ranges.
Brands community post agents can buy on group terms
A selection of names you can access on group terms. Members always choose what they stock.
Support built for community post agents
Membership is more than buying power. The IBG team helps you run and grow the business.
Questions from community post agents
Straight answers to what independents ask before they join.
No. Your postal services and any arrangement with Australia Post sit entirely with you. IBG covers the retail side of the store, where you choose what to stock and what to charge.
Membership is open to independent businesses of all sizes, and there are no minimum-purchase rules or forced ranges. The benefit scales with what you buy, and central billing saves a small operator the most time because it removes the most accounts.
Yes. That is what the member B2B portal is for. You order across the network through one account and receive one statement. Freight and pack sizes vary by supplier and are explained clearly, so you can decide what makes sense for your store.
No. IBG has no branding requirements. You keep your store's name and identity, and membership adds buying power and support behind the scenes.
Related retailers
IBG supports independents across categories and store formats. See how it works for stores like yours.
For licensed post offices
Group buying power for the retail side of a licensed post office, where the licensee sets the margin, with one account and no forced ranges.
For newsagents
Group buying power on the general merchandise that now carries the newsagency, so independents can grow the categories that pay while keeping their own name over the door.
For petrol and convenience stores
Group buying power on the in-store categories that make the margin at an independent servo or convenience store, with quick reorders through one account.
Be the town's shop for a bit of everything, with group buying behind it.
Apply for membership and the IBG team will walk you through pricing, suppliers and support for community post agents. No obligation, no forced ranges.