“That point of difference of paying for a 250g parcel rather than an unnecessary 500g is huge. We’re saving up to $2 per parcel which can add up to $400 in savings every day.”
TL;DR (too long; didn't read)
- Ali Jaber set out to offer better service and more niche products than discount chains.
- Initially offering local delivery online, Pharmacy Junction now ships Australia-wide.
- Disconnected systems meant ecommerce was initially inefficient and costly.
- Sendle’s 250g pouch makes shipping essential medicines viable.
- ShipStation’s integration means Pharmacy Junction’s fulfilment is seamless.
- Pharmacy Junction saves a massive $5k - $6K every month with Sendle.
Ali Jaber, founder, Pharmacy Junction
Leading with customer service
Ali Jaber knew that fabulous customer service was the key to success when he established Pharmacy Junction in Parramatta, one of the most diverse and dynamic regions in Sydney. The big players in the industry would always be able to offer cheaper prices, so Ali wanted to build his reputation on service, a better range of products, and listening to (and delivering on) what customers want. He also offered a delivery service for people in the Parramatta area, knowing that many residents could not easily come into the pharmacy to pick up medicines and health products.
Local deliveries go Australia-wide
Soon after the pharmacy opened, Ali set out to build a website to help the locals who ordered home delivery products. Meanwhile, their social media presence was attracting a following way beyond Parramatta, and Ali realised the website offered a much bigger opportunity than initially planned. “We thought, why not take it Australia-wide? And that’s what we did.” It wasn’t long before he was proved right, and Pharmacy Junction now sends health and beauty products to grateful customers all over the country.
But it’s not always smooth sailing
However, it wasn’t just a matter of flicking the switch. Ali and the team had to get their heads around a mass of messy regulations that govern selling health products online. Like the majority of our customers who responded to the 2023 Sendle Small Business Survey, Ali knew that growing his social media presence was crucial for success. He started with paid social, but Government regulations were constantly changing, and every online advertisement had to be carefully checked to ensure there were no breaches.
On top of that, they had systems that didn’t talk to each other; the point-of-sale system in the store was completely stand-alone. Every day, staff had to copy product descriptions and stock levels from one system to another. It was a lot of extra work, and time-consuming for the team that fulfils online orders.
ShipStation makes fulfilment seamless
These days, loading new products into the system isn’t a matter of cutting and pasting – most data can be uploaded automatically, and the ordering process is more efficient.
The fulfilment process is streamlined too, since the pharmacy started using ShipStation to automate order processing and shipping.
Shipping savings help the business grow
With postage being a significant cost for ecommerce, Pharmacy Junction, which ships mainly small packages, finds Australia Post’s prices hard to justify. As soon as Ali became aware of the Sendle 250g pouch, he knew it was a winner.
Pharmacy Junction made the switch to Sendle in 2022 and is now seeing savings of $5K - $6K per month.
But for Pharmacy Junction, Sendle offers more than just the best price. ShipStation helps them select the best price for every delivery, though Ali says the cheapest is not always their first choice; they'll select Sendle because of the superior service available via chat in the Sendle dashboard. Enquiries are quickly dealt with, and delays, although rare, promptly investigated and resolved. If ever a parcel does go astray, the compensation makes a real difference. Having built his own business on customer service, Ali is delighted to find a shipping company that shares the same values.
Ali’s staff also appreciate the daily pick up service which means they get most orders out the same day and deliver on their own customer service promises.
Pharmacy Junction is now expanding
As Ali sees the cost of shipping coming down, he's keen to expand the ecommerce business even further. His next venture is a new store on a major online platform where he will continue to reap the benefits of shipping (and saving) with Sendle.
See how much you can save with Sendle’s 250g pouch.
Photo courtesy: Pharmacy Junction
