Highland Printing and Shipping Store Opens Their 50th Store

Highland Ill. - The Mail Box Store, a small business based in Illinois offering packing, shipping, and printing services, has opened its 50th retail store in the United States. Store No. 50 opened its doors on April 26, 2021, in Fort Myers, Florida under the company’s flagship name The Mail Box Store.

The process of developing and opening pack and ship stores began in 2008 when a store operator in Georgia who was new to the industry reached out to Eliot Deters, owner and CEO of The Mail Box Store, for advice on opening his store. Deters realized he had something to offer other store owners entering the industry. That realization has led to opening stores all over the country and hitting the 50-store mark within 15 years; an impressive mark for a small, family-owned business.

All store locations are individually owned and operated by the people who live in that community where the store is located. What makes the new store development process offered by The Mail Box Store unique is how customizable the packages are. New stores have the option of choosing their own name or using the main brand name of The Mail Box Store. Stores have used names such as The Mail Center, Space Coast Pack & Ship, Box It Up, and Mailbox Max to list a few.

One of the biggest benefits of partnering with Deters and his team is being a franchise without being an actual franchise. The term is “turnkey,” meaning Deters and his staff get all the accounts set up and physically set up the stores and then turn over the operations to the local store owners. “It’s a very unique setup,” said Barry Pfeiffer, director of store operations. “We don’t charge franchise fees or royalties like other franchise structures.” The benefits don’t stop there. Deter’s team also provides additional support after the stores are open. Pfeiffer said, “It’s almost impossible to train on every scenario or encounter that store is going to have, so we are very intentional about providing ourselves as a resource when they have questions or concerns. We don’t hand them the keys to their store and say, ‘Good luck, hope it all works out!’ and leave. We want their store to be as successful as ours have been and we’re willing to provide the necessary support to make that happen.”

Everything from creating accounts with vendors to classroom training to coming on-site and building the store is handled by Deters and his team. “It starts with doing a site location, then having the new owners come to our corporate office for a week of classroom and hands-on training and certification, and then the actual buildout of the store,” Pfeiffer said. “It’s always interesting to see the owners come in during buildout and see our organized chaos of boxes and fixtures then hear them wonder how in the world we’ll finish in less than a week. We work hard and do whatever is necessary to make it happen. We’re dedicated to doing the job correctly and presenting a clean, professional store because that’s who we are.”

Once the store is open, they stay onsite for a few days to train the local staff on procedures and how their new equipment works followed by a follow-up visit 60-90 days later. It’s a process that has worked for over a decade and continues to expand.

As Deters explains, it goes beyond profits and the sheer number of stores. “When I started this dream 14 years ago, I did so to help other people. To think about how many people have been impacted by the 50 stores we have opened is truly humbling. There is no greater joy in this business other than to see the new owners face when their new business is revealed to them on opening day!”

Opening Store No. 50 in sunny Florida was very fitting as the future looks bright for The Mail Box Store. There are currently more stores coming on board this year including locations in New Jersey, Delaware, Texas, and Mississippi. According to Pfeiffer, it’s a very viable option nowadays. “The COVID-19 pandemic really showed us how essential a business like ours is. I think it’s why we’re seeing more people all over the country wanting to start a packing and shipping store. This industry is not going anywhere and continues to be an asset to communities. We proved that this past year.”

Located in Highland, IL, The Mail Box Store is a locally owned and operated company providing a variety of services to the local community. The store's services include international shipping, mailbox rentals, printing services, and more. It is the Mail Box Store Highland's goal to deliver the highest standard of customer service by providing printing, packing, and shipping services with unparalleled integrity and reliability. For more information about opening a local franchise, call (618) 651-4700 or visit www.themailboxstore.net/start-your-own-store/.