(Case Study) Queen B: From Plan B to 4 Million Deliveries to Support Aussie Beekeepers

When Australia Post couldn't cut it, Queen B turned to Interparcel to support Australian beekeepers and regional communities, cutting their packing time by 20%.

Queen B, located on Sydney's Northern Beaches, was created to support Australian beekeepers and regional communities, by sending pure light into the world and leaving a positive footprint on the planet. They create beeswax candles and wraps using pure Australian beeswax.

Tell us about your origin story?

Queen B started as a hobby 23 years ago to deal with crippling panic attacks, and became a full-fledged business after just the first few years. I started my career in corporate litigation and banking but it soon took a dark turn and I was plunged into anxiety. Turns out it was all to find my true calling to help better the world that we live in.

How many products have you sold to date?

I'd estimate that in our 20 years as a business we have hand-made over 4 million pure Australian beeswax candles, lighting everything from dinner parties, bedtime stories and weddings. We've worked with brands like Cartier, bollinger, Swarovski and Dinosaur Designs.

"For 20 years, we've been at the whim of Australia Post, as they've lost and damaged parcels...with Interparcel we finally have control over our shipping processes."

Before Interparcel

The pick-up process with Australia Post was brutal. Cages were loaded onto a truck and driven to Chullora, where parcels were dumped onto a conveyor belt, which caused a lot of damage to our parcels.

• Took 20% longer to pack every parcel due to the Australian Post process.
• Parcels would go missing and our customers would have to deal with the Australia Post customer service

With Interparcel

Using Interparcel has given Queen B, control over their shipping. They've integrated Interparcel's Shipping Manager into their website, which provides rate visibility to their customers

• Reduced admin cost following up missing orders and resending orders that were damaged by Australia Post
• An estimated 30-35% yearly reduction in shipping costs
• Parcel breakages are down to zero, and most importantly their customers are happier
• A large range of couriers to choose from at competitive rates

How does your philosophy play out in your business?

We try to make a difference in every single aspect of what we do. We meditate before work every day (so that we can leave any stress at the door). We lunch together every day (so that we know one another well and ensure that we look after one another). Even our packaging is made from recycled cardboard, printed with soy ink and the windows are made from PLA (made from corn).

How did Interparcel help?

Interparcel offers a large range of carriers, who, as they don't have the monopoly mentality that Australia Post has, provide a great service at competitive rates. A lot of the carriers that we use have franchised drivers, so they're effectively running a small business...just like I am. They succeed or fail based on the service they provide and therefore their service is much better.

We haven't needed to increase the price of our products in 7 years despite a 300% increase in the price of Australian beeswax. We got to the stage where we needed to give our customers greater transparency over our pricing structure - and Interparcel helps us do that. By integrating Interparcel into our website, we were able to provide our customers with a choice during the checkout process. They get to weigh up speed versus cost and make an informed decision before they purchase.

Our delivery solution using Interparcel ensures that in a vast majority of cases, delivery is as seamless and quick as the service we love to provide at Queen B.