GOIN' POSTAL

What GOIN' POSTAL does

GOIN' POSTAL is a US retail shipping franchise company founded in 2002 by the Price Family in Zephyrhills, Florida, operating under parent entity GP Brands Inc. The first company-owned store exceeded expectations by generating consistent profit within two years, and the company launched its franchise program in early 2004, ultimately building a nationwide network of independently owned retail shipping locations across all 50 states plus Washington D.C.

The franchise offering is built around a proprietary multi-carrier shipping point-of-sale system developed and supported in-house by GP Brands, which the company states is unique within the franchised retail shipping industry. Franchisees gain access to all four major US shipping carriers — UPS, FedEx, DHL, and USPS (including USPS Approved Shipper / CMRA status) — along with ancillary services such as mailbox rentals, notary, faxing, copying, and truck rental partnerships with Penske and U-Haul. Training is delivered at the Zephyrhills headquarters via "Shipping Store University," which includes hands-on experience in the company-owned test store.

The business model targets entrepreneurs seeking affordable entry into retail shipping, with a one-time franchise fee of $15,000 (or $10,000 for veterans), a flat-rate monthly royalty of $525, and a total initial investment range of $46,750-$109,500 — approximately 25% of competitor costs such as The UPS Store ($159,000-$496,000) or PostNet ($209,000-$261,000). The 15-year license term with free renewal, combined with protected territories and a no-ad-fund policy, differentiates the offering from percentage-based royalty models. The franchisor captures revenue from franchise fees, recurring royalties, and equipment/POS sales, while franchise acquisition relies primarily on referrals, online advertising, and a free FDD download flow rather than franchise brokers.

Name

GOIN' POSTAL

Legal name

GP Brands Inc.

Website

https://goinpostal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GOIN' POSTAL is a US retail shipping franchise founded in 2002 by the Price Family, operating nationwide under parent GP Brands Inc. It licenses independently owned stores a proprietary multi-carrier shipping POS, granting access to UPS, FedEx, DHL, and USPS at roughly 25% of competitor franchise costs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Shipping Franchise Services

NAICS

Postal Service (49111)

akta.pro primary industry

Carrier-Owned Parcel Locker Networks (TLAAAMAA)

Keywords

• Retail shipping franchise
• Multi-carrier shipping
• Mailbox rental services
• Business services center
• Shipping store franchise

Headquarters

HQ city

Zephyrhills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees: One-time initial franchise fee of $15,000 for the license to use the Goin' Postal name, trademarks, corporate identity, and access to their systems and training. Veterans receive a $5,000 discount, reducing the fee to $10,000.
2. Monthly Royalties: Flat-rate monthly royalty of $525 per franchisee. Royalties increase approximately 5% every 3rd year for the term of the franchise agreement. This flat-rate model differs from competitors who use percentage-based systems.
3. Franchise Setup Services: Additional revenue from equipment sales and setup services. The initial $25,000 covers the franchise fee ($15,000) and required purchases such as POS systems ($10,000).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GOIN' POSTAL franchises retail shipping stores that offer packing, shipping, mailbox rentals, notary, fax, copying, and business services to local consumers and small businesses. Franchisees gain access to a proprietary multi-carrier shipping POS system, protected territories, training at corporate headquarters, and ongoing support. The brand operates as a low-cost alternative to larger shipping franchises like The UPS Store and PostNet.

Product overview

Goin' Postal is a retail shipping franchise network offering a portfolio of shipping, packing, mailbox, and business services. The core offering is the Goin' Postal franchise, which provides independently owned stores access to multiple shipping carriers (UPS, FedEx, USPS, DHL) through a proprietary multi-carrier shipping POS system created and supported by the franchisor. Stores can also offer ancillary services including mailbox rentals, document services, notary, fingerprinting, and office supplies. The franchise model includes comprehensive training through Shipping Store University and ongoing operational support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GP Brands: Parent company of Goin' Postal franchise system

Products and services

• Goin' Postal Franchise A retail shipping franchise opportunity offering independently owned and operated stores access to multi-carrier shipping (UPS, FedEx, USPS, DHL), a proprietary POS system, mailbox rentals, business services, protected territory, comprehensive training, and ongoing operational support for an initial franchise fee of $15,000 and flat $525 monthly royalty.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 90% of small businesses fail in first couple years, while franchised small businesses have much better success rate
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UPScoreTechnology or IntegrationUPS is one of the primary shipping carriers available through Goin' Postal franchise locations. The company provides franchisees with assistance in applying for UPS carrier accounts as part of the franchise setup package.
• FedExcoreTechnology or IntegrationFedEx is one of the primary shipping carriers available through Goin' Postal franchise locations. The company provides franchisees with assistance in applying for FedEx carrier accounts as part of the franchise setup package.
• DHLcoreTechnology or IntegrationDHL international shipping services are available through Goin' Postal franchise locations. The company provides franchisees with assistance in applying for DHL carrier accounts as part of the franchise setup package.
• USPS (United States Postal Service)coreTechnology or IntegrationGoin' Postal stores are part of the Post Office's Approved Shipper Program and are Commercial Mail Receiving Agencies (CMRA). USPS services are integrated into the multi-carrier shipping offerings.
• ChatmeterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWeb-based marketing partnership to help Goin' Postal franchise locations show up prominently within search engines. Chatmeter also provides multi-platform social media tools to save franchisees time on posting.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The UPS Store: The dominant U.S. franchised retail shipping network; offers the same multi-carrier shipping, mailbox, packing, and business services as Goin' Postal but at a much higher investment point ($159,000–$496,000), backed by direct UPS brand and capital support.
• PostNet: Direct franchised competitor in retail shipping, packing, mailbox, and business services with comparable carrier integrations; cited by Goin' Postal as a competitor ($209,000–$261,000 investment), positioning similarly on the SMB entrepreneur value proposition.
• PostalAnnex+ (Annex Brands): Franchised retail shipping and business services network (owner of PostalAnnex+, Parcel Plus, and others); competes directly with Goin' Postal on the same shipping, mailbox, and business services menu with multi-carrier UPS/FedEx/USPS/DHL access.
• Pak Mail: Franchised retail shipping and packaging store network offering packing, shipping, mailbox rental, and business services; another direct franchise competitor in the same multi-carrier retail shipping category.
• Postal Centers USA: Franchised U.S. retail shipping and business services chain offering UPS/FedEx/USPS shipping, mailbox rentals, notary, and document services; competes for the same small-business-franchisee market as Goin' Postal.

Broad incumbents

• FedEx Office (formerly FedEx Kinko's): Carrier-owned retail chain offering shipping, packing, printing, and business services; not franchise-based but competes at the same retail shipping customer level and is a key upstream carrier partner.
• UPS (United Parcel Service): Primary shipping carrier whose retail agent network (including The UPS Store) overlaps with Goin' Postal's franchise footprint; UPS also embeds UPS Access Point drop-off through independent retail locations, creating direct retail-shipping competition.
• United States Postal Service (USPS): Primary U.S. postal operator whose Approved Shipper Program and CMRA structure directly enables Goin' Postal's franchise model; Post Offices and USPS.com are the institutional baseline against which Goin' Postal's retail shipping services compete.

Emerging players

• Staples (U.S. retail): Office superstore offering packing, shipping label printing, and drop-off services via UPS/FedEx/USPS; competes for SMB shipping traffic from a retail (not franchise) footprint and could become a more direct third-party drop-off competitor.
• FedEx Onsite drop-off locations: FedEx's emerging network of carrier-branded drop-off points inside independent retail locations; represents the carrier-led version of the PUDO concept that could pull shipping volume away from franchised retail shipping networks like Goin' Postal.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/gpcorp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GOIN' POSTAL