Mail Boxes Etc (MBE) will be opening 10 additional franchises in Australia this year, with a focus on expanding in WA, SA and NSW. The group currently has 35 stores in Austraila.

Clayton Treloar, CEO, MBE Australia says it has found its first location, which is in Ultimo, NSW, and is now seeking a franchisee. He says the company is not necessarily looking for franchisees with printing backgrounds.

“The beauty about the MBE brand is you have three businesses in one. You do not need a printing background, we can train them on all of that”, he says.

Treloar says 80 to 90 per cent of the MBE sales are still in printing, so he says the company is in a good position to grow the business.

“Our sales in colour printing grew year over year in 2016, some of the market has dropped but we have actually increased. Our print side of the business has grown which is quite unusual. Shipping and packing was up 17 per cent. Printing was up three to four per cent, black and white printing was down and colour was up substantially,” he says.

[Related: MBE in agressive expansion]

He is also relying on the fact MBE is an international business to attract more franchises.

“A lot of people have not heard of MBE, we are so small in Australia. If you go overseas, there are 525 franchises in Italy alone. So we are trying to capitalise on the fact we are an international company and we can get international support.”

The plans were unveiled at its annual national conference, A World of Opportunities, where Giuseppe Bergonzi, general manager worldwide development for MBE was a guest.

Treloar says during the conference Bergonzi spoke about trade, economy and how MBE international can help them bring more business into the country.

MBE is a global retail network with 1,600 franchises worldwide.

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