Buying power 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.
Compete on price, keep your independence.
A licensed post office is two businesses under one roof. The postal side runs to Australia Post's terms. The retail side, from phone accessories and ink to gifting and homewares, is where the licensee decides what to stock, what to charge and how much of the counter it earns.
IBG gives LPO owners access to more than 1000 approved brands for that retail side on group-negotiated terms, with central billing across most suppliers, so a time-poor licensee can run a stronger range with less admin.
What independent licensed post offices are up against
The pressures this category puts on a store buying and operating on its own.
Retail is where the margin is, and the shelf is small
Postal payments are set by the licence, so the retail range has to carry the profit. In a small-footprint outlet every facing has to earn its place, which means buying the right lines at the right price, not just filling the wall.
The counter is busy and the office is empty
Licensees spend the day serving parcels, bills and banking. There is rarely a spare hour to chase supplier accounts, compare pricing, place a dozen small orders or reconcile a dozen statements.
Direct accounts punish small orders
Buying a few cartons of accessories or ink direct from each brand means list pricing, freight on every order and minimums sized for bigger stores.
Customers expect what they saw online
Phone cases, chargers, cables, ink and print supplies are brand-led. People ask for names they already know, and a single outlet struggles to stock them at a competitive price.
How IBG works for licensed post offices
The same pressures, answered through group buying power and hands-on support.
Chain-scale pricing on the retail range
Buy mobile accessories, tech, print and ink, gifting and homewares on group terms built on the network's combined volume, with supplier rebates where the program offers them, so a small outlet buys like a large one.
One account, one statement, one payment
Central billing across most suppliers means one IBG trade account instead of a separate account with every brand. Order across the network through the member B2B portal between customers, and reconcile one statement at month end.
Range the lines that earn the shelf
The category team helps you choose the accessories, print and gift lines that suit your customers and your footprint, and leave the rest. There are no forced ranges and no minimum-purchase rules.
Support that fits around the counter
IT helpdesk for the systems the business runs on, and a virtual assistant service for the admin a licensee never has time for, so the hours you do have go to 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 licensed post offices over time. There are no mandates and no forced ranges.
Brands licensed post offices can buy on group terms
A selection of names you can access on group terms. Members always choose what they stock.
Support built for licensed post offices
Membership is more than buying power. The IBG team helps you run and grow the business.
Questions from licensed post offices
Straight answers to what independents ask before they join.
No. Your postal services, payments and obligations sit entirely with your licence. IBG covers the retail side of the business only, where you choose what to stock and what to charge.
No. IBG does not impose mandatory ranges or minimum-purchase rules. You buy the accessories, ink, gift and homewares lines that suit your outlet, in the quantities that suit it, and any supplier-specific terms are explained clearly when you join.
Instead of opening and reconciling a separate account with every brand, you order across the IBG network through one trade account and receive one statement. For a licensee already running the postal counter, that is hours back every month.
Yes. IBG membership has no exclusivity requirement. Use the group where it improves your pricing or simplifies your buying, and keep any existing arrangement that works for you.
Related retailers
IBG supports independents across categories and store formats. See how it works for stores like yours.
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 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.
For technology retailers
Group pricing across computing, peripherals, networking and mobile, plus IT support that understands a retail business, for independent technology stores.
Make the retail side of the post office earn its keep, with group buying behind it.
Apply for membership and the IBG team will walk you through pricing, suppliers and support for licensed post offices. No obligation, no forced ranges.