We’re so excited to announce our partnership with BigCommerce. This integration will make it easier for Australian merchants selling on the BigCommerce platform to streamline all components of the shipping process removing the need to arrange accounts and negotiate contracts.
Through the integration with Shippit, thousands of BigCommerce merchants will now gain access to enterprise shipping rates and discounts with popular shipping carriers, including Couriers Please, Fastway, Star Track Express, Star Track Premium, DHL Express, DHL ecommerce and TNT, among others.
“Since 2012, Australian ecommerce has seen 65% growth, but in order to compete effectively in the global marketplace, Australian merchants need tools that cater to their particular needs,” said Will On, co-founder and joint-CEO at Shippit. “As an Australian-born company, BigCommerce has always been a great resource for local businesses, and this partnership with one of the world’s largest ecommerce platforms will allow us to offer enterprise capability to thousands of local merchants – small and large – a robust and turnkey shipping offering that will enable them to easily and consistently grow at scale, both locally and internationally.”
Unlike alternative services, Shippit doesn’t require credit checks or a complex IT set-up, enabling BigCommerce merchants to create an account in a matter of minutes and start shipping immediately. Shippit uses each package’s requirements to determine the best courier or shipping provider, then fulfills the order, prints a label and sends a manifest to the selected provider with pick-up details. Customers are kept informed of the shipping progress through email or text notifications, ensuring a positive customer experience.
The Shippit integration comes as recent research from Pitney Bowes revealed that parcel volume in Australia experienced double digit growth in 2016, and is expected to grow between 4.5% – 5.4% annually through 2021.
“An increase in regional competition, combined with Amazon’s impending arrival in the region, has driven local merchants to seek new ways to improve the customer experience, and shipping is a critical element in that,” said Jordan Sim, group product manager at BigCommerce. “There’s been high demand for a shipping integration that specifically addresses the needs of Australian merchants, and Shippit provides fast, reliable and affordable post-purchase logistics options, making them an ideal BigCommerce partner.”
The integration with Shippit follows a string of recent BigCommerce partnerships to enhance the platform experience for merchants in Australia and New Zealand. Earlier this year, BigCommerce announced an integration with Afterpay giving merchants the ability to offer payment plans at checkout, as well as a partnership with Hike POS to help merchants sync inventory across retail channels and Trade Me, New Zealand’s largest marketplace.
The partnership also builds on Shippit’s recent momentum following its Series A funding to help drive the company’s expansion into APAC within the next 12 months and scale its growth. The company currently services over 750 merchants including Sephora, TOPSHOP, Thankyou, Harvey Norman, Pet Circle, and ships over 250,000 parcels through its platform each month.
Shippit is available to all BigCommerce merchants in Australia, with packages starting at $19 AUD/month. For more information, visit https://www.bigcommerce.com/apps/shippit/.
1 Ecommerce Foundation, “Australia B2C E-Commerce Report 2016.” December, 2016.