An Post has started trialling its new e-commerce and home delivery service eLocal.ie at three Irish towns.
An Post’s new service aims to provide next-day delivery service for businesses and merchants to local customers, giving each retailer an online presence to display their goods and services as well as enabling online orders.
It will cater to a diverse range of businesses, including food and drink, home and garden, fashion and jewellery as well as electrical goods.
The system started its testing phase last week in Ennis, Bantry and Mullingar and will be rolled out later this year, according to An Post.
The website hosts some ten retailers from the three towns, including for example, Seamus Bracken Craft Butcher in Mullingar, Murtagh Jewellers in Ennis and The Craft Shop in Bantry.
'Fighting Back'
Garrett Bridgeman, managing director of An Post’s Mails and Parcels division said, “eLocal helps local business fight back by giving them the capacity to trade online and access our national delivery network. The service will also generate new business for An Post’s own mails network.”
“This new doorstep delivery service from An Post will give local businesses the edge over national and international online operators by connecting retailers with their customers both online and in person,” said Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment Denis Naughten, T.D.
“I know this will be a welcome initiative nationwide as small businesses are the backbone of every Irish provincial town and village and, with consumers across Ireland now spending almost €14,000 online every minute, trading online is essential to create new business, new jobs and new exports,” Naughten said.
Recent research conducted by An Post indicated an increasing level of shopping by Irish shoppers being done online with almost half of survey respondents (48%) saying they shop online at least once a month, according to the postal service.
© 2018 - Checkout Magazine by Kevin Duggan
