Michael Paul, founder and CEO of logistics retail business Pack & Send, is celebrating 20 years of the one-stop-shop.

From its first sale of just $2.90 in 1993 to a current annual turnover of $37 million, the company has adapted to major changes in the postal/logistics sector over a relatively short period since the introduction of email and online retail.

Michael Paul established Pack & Send together with his wife in 1993 after noticing that businesses and consumers were looking for one-stop-shop solutions for sending anything, anywhere, that also included a convenient packaging service.

The company grew from one small retail service centre in Parramatta to an international network of 130 retail service centres in Australia, NZ and the UK.

“Pack & Send started, with just one store, today we have over 100 retail service centres in Australia and we are in the UK and New Zealand, and reflecting back on that we put down a lot of our success down to the fact we have very strong robust business systems,” says Paul.

In a video interview with Franchising, he says “I think that’s the key, the thing that you are bringing to the table for franchisees. It’s been a strength of ours and it’s given us a lot of sustainability to continue to grow, even after 20 years.”

The technologically driven future is very encouraging for the network, he says. The growth of online shopping is providing further opportunities and in response to the changing environment Pack & Send has introduced initiatives designed to make the most of the potential.

“We see the network growing not only with our retail service network but with a smaller satellite network as a supplement to that  and getting a lot more business from the online shopping environment.”

So how did the business get where it is today?

• Before 1993 Pack & Send partners with other carriers
• August 1993 First store in Parramatta, NSW
• 1994 Opening of the second store and head office
• 1996 First TV campaign in Sydney metro
• 1999 The business partners with eBay
• 2000 Internet shopping trend boosts the Pack & Send business
• 2003 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, is the site for the 50th store
• 2007 Named Franchisor of the Year in the FCA PricewaterhouseCooper Excellence in Franchising awards
• 2008 Awarded equal runner up at the International Franchisor of the Year Award (Singapore)
• 2008 Launch of international expansion with master franchise network in New Zealand. The first New Zealand Pack & Send franchisee store opened in the south island at Riccarton
• 2009 The brand heads to the UK, opening its first store in Reading and subsequently in Leeds, Birmingham, Southampton, Bristol and London
• 2009 The 100th store opens in Southern Highlands, NSW
• 2012 In December, online self-service is launched
• 2012 A 20 percent uplift in parcel shipments due to the online retail revolution, delivering more than 7,000 tonnes of parcels each year
• 2013 The second TV campaign launches to position the brand as a viable competitor to Australia Post

How does it work? Back in 2009 Domini Stuart looked at how Pack & Send gets anything, anywhere.