Sendle has stopped operating in Australia — and many brands are feeling it in their shipping bill

In January 2026, multiple reports confirmed that Sendle halted new bookings in Australia effective 11 January, with bookings from 12 January onwards cancelled, and parcels already in transit delivered at the discretion of delivery partners.

For many small businesses, Sendle was the “affordable default”. With that option suddenly gone, a lot of brands have been forced back to Australia Post accounts without enough volume to unlock strong commercial pricing — and the result is simple: shipping bills go up.

The hidden cost isn’t just higher rates — it’s disruption

SmartCompany reported the immediate operational scramble: cancelled pickups, re-routing orders, extra admin, and manual drop-offs. Even if you “solve” carrier access quickly, the overhead adds up:

• more time spent on labels + lodgement

• more time answering customer “where is it?” messages

• more inconsistency in delivery experience (especially painful for fashion brands)

  
  

If your shipping bill is rising, you now have 3 realistic paths

1) Stay in-house and negotiate hard

Works best if you’re already doing meaningful volume. If you’re still growing, you may be stuck paying closer to retail pricing longer than you’d like.

2) Use a multi-carrier shipping platform/aggregator

This can restore some flexibility quickly, but your rates still depend heavily on your own volume profile and lane mix.

3) Move fulfilment to a 3PL that aggregates volume

This is the under-discussed option: 3PLs typically negotiate carrier rates based on pooled volume across many brands, which can mean better shipping rates than many individual brands can secure alone.

For some brands, the shipping-rate improvement + reduced operational overhead is enough to justify outsourcing fulfilment earlier than they planned.

Why this matters more for fashion brands

Fashion fulfilment isn’t “just shipping”:

• SKU complexity is higher (sizes/colours)

• presentation matters (unboxing, returns, re-bags)

• speed + accuracy protect brand trust

So when shipping costs rise, fashion founders often face a double hit:

1. you pay more per parcel

2. any operational strain increases errors and delays

   
   

A simple decision check

If any of these are true, it’s worth reviewing your fulfilment setup:

• your shipping bill jumped after Sendle’s shutdown

• you don’t have the volume to negotiate rates you’re happy with

• fulfilment admin is eating founder time

• you care about premium fashion presentation and low error rates

  
  

How Freckl helps (fashion-focused, Sydney-based)

Freckl is a fashion-focused 3PL in Sydney. If your shipping bill is rising and you want to see whether outsourcing could reduce your cost-per-order (while improving accuracy and presentation), we can do a quick rate-and-fulfilment review.

FAQ

Q: Why did my shipping costs go up after Sendle stopped operating in Australia?

A: Many brands lost access to Sendle’s pricing and convenience and were pushed back to Australia Post or alternative carriers without enough volume to secure competitive commercial rates.

Q: Can a 3PL reduce my shipping cost even if I’m not high volume?

A: Often, yes — because a 3PL may access better carrier rates by aggregating volume across many brands. Whether it works depends on your product weights, dimensions, and delivery zones.

Q: Why choose a fashion-specialist 3PL?

A: Fashion brands benefit from systems designed for SKU complexity, presentation, and accuracy — which protects repeat purchase behaviour and brand perception.