Need to mail a letter quickly? Need 100 color copies before lunch? Expecting an important fax?.

Tuesday, June 26, 2001

Need to mail a letter quickly? Need 100 color copies before lunch? Expecting an important fax?

Since December, a new business in Austin has been able to do these things and more for area residents and businesses.

Yet few know it’s here.

Mailboxes etc., tucked in the corner of First Avenue NW, across from St. Olaf Lutheran Church, offers a variety of services for customers.

Managed by father and son, Don and Jeff Austin, Mailboxes etc. offers mailbox rental, black-and-white copying, color copying, as well as faxing services and shipping services.

While the business has been successful, Don and Jeff weren’t always involved in retail. They stumbled upon the idea after selling their family business.

The Austins owned and operated Gopher Distributing, a wholesale beer distributor, for 62 years.

So why did they get out of the beer business?

Don explained.

"I thought I might retire," he said, "and my son needed a job. He found out about Mailboxes on the Internet."

Jeff explained that he began researching small business franchises one day and Mailboxes etc. appealed to him.

"We talked of selling our other business and would have liked to have had something small we could do together," he said. "With the built-in recognition (of Mailboxes etc.), people know who you are."

As risky as it sounds to start up a new business after following the same routine for years, neither Jeff nor Don had much hesitation about their new venture.

"It was a change from what we were doing before, but I had an open mind," Jeff said. "I was willing to learn."

For Don, while retail is different than wholesale, he wasn’t sure whether retirement was suited for him.

"I worked all my life," he said. "I don’t know if I could just quit."

Since the grand opening in December, Mailboxes etc. has provided quite a service to the community.

More specialized than Target or Staples, they offer mailbox rental. Residents and businesses can have their mail delivered to the store and pick it up at their convenience.

This offers a number of advantages over traditional post office boxes, according to Don.

"You get a street address with your mailbox and we sign on your behalf for packages and let you know when they arrive," he said. "We also offer a call-in service so you can see if your package is here. Also, once you get the box, you don’t have to change your address, your mail can be forwarded here."

Costs are relatively low, with the smallest mailboxes costing $10 a month and the largest mailboxes costing $20 a month.

Another specialty of Mailboxes etc., compared to other office supply stores, is their selection of moving and storage boxes. They offer boxes in a number of sizes, along with packaging tape, packing peanuts and bubble wrap. They also sell poster tubes for that hard-to-mail document or poster.

When the school year rolls around, they also will offer a sale for students going off to college. Eventually, they may have a discount for college students with ID.

Other plans for the future include longer hours and a security gate, which would allow customers 24-hour access to copying, faxing and mailbox services.

For the moment, however, since the business is still new, Jeff and Don are waiting until they see a real need for it. Estimated costs for installation are $7,000.

Don explained that they also would like to install a computer for customer use that would allow Internet access. Customers would be able to print out files from a disk, including resumes and the like. A desk is currently set up in the store, but remains empty.

For those businesses and customers that need to mail out important documents and find that the post office doesn’t fit with their busy schedules, Mailboxes etc. offers FedEx and overnight mail.

They even have charge accounts for customers.

Don said that customers may be in a hurry when they come in to the store. Often, they only have time to drop off their packages and get back to work. If they give the shipping address to Jeff or Don before leaving, they can be charged to an account and not have to worry about paying immediately.

With so many convenient services offered in one store, you might expect high prices. Don said Mailboxes etc. is relatively competitive with other office supply stores like Staples, but they can set their own prices.

They often use what the manufacturers recommend.

Customers are quite pleased with the services offered at Mailboxes etc.

Richard Lee, owner of a packing and shipping business in town, saw the building go up and knew of its presence before the opening.

He’s only come to the store twice, but felt the knowledge is better at a specialty store such as this compared to stores with a smaller selection of services.

"They make nice copies," Lee said. "It’s a specialty within a specialty. You get the best copies for not a lot of money."

Mel Ferris, who saw the store when she was driving by, is impressed by the store’s convenience.

"You can drive up pretty close," Ferris said. "It’s handy if you have boxes, you can get in and out the door."

Emily Wright, who came in for color copies, agreed.

"It’s pretty convenient, being downtown," Wright said. "It’s close to other businesses."

Lee also said Jeff and Don’s friendliness makes him want to support the business.

"They’re friendly owners," he said. "I believe in specialty stores like this. It’s a great business."

Jeff remains optimistic, saying that customers have gotten steadier over time.

"I feel good about it," he said. "It seems to be getting busier every week."

Call Melissa Bregani at 434-2236 or e-mail her at newsroom@austindailyherald.com.