Across regional Australia, online retail businesses are often born of necessity – a way for farming and agriculture business owners to diversify income and build sustainable revenue when faced with droughts, floods and economic uncertainty.
For these businesses, every parcel they send carries more than a product. It carries their livelihood, reputation, and story. That’s why when something goes wrong in transit, the impact can be deeply personal.
Buy From The Bush, an online hub encouraging city-dwelling Australians to support rural businesses, has teamed with Parcel Protect, an NTI-backed delivery insurance solution for e-commerce merchants, to help protect customer orders being delivered safely. By protecting each delivery from loss, theft or damage, Parcel Protect helps rural retailers build trust and confidence with every sale.
Through their collaboration, Building Community Across the Country, Parcel Protect and Buy From The Bush are sharing stories of regional retailers who pour extraordinary care and pride into every parcel they send – and helping provide greater confidence that those parcels arrive just as they should.
A partnership built on care and connection
Building Community Across the Country features three businesses – Harry & Kit, Kennedy The Label, and Featherdale Earrings – each representing a different side of rural enterprise. These businesses keep money circulating locally, support female-led entrepreneurship and build stronger links between rural producers and urban consumers.
In Goondiwindi and Toowoomba, Harry & Kit has grown from a tin shed into a regional destination. Founded by Lil Holcombe, the boutique offers curated homewares and furniture, from reclaimed ceramics to globally sourced pieces.
In the Hunter region, Laura Breiner and her mother handcraft bespoke accessories under the Featherdale Earrings brand. Using ethically sourced, naturally moulted feathers, they create pieces that celebrate farm-based craftsmanship and sustainability.
And in Far West NSW, Annabelle Kennedy runs Kennedy The Label from her family’s mixed farming property, with each piece designed and packed on-farm.
Buy From The Bush founder Grace Brennan says small business owners like Lil, Laura and Annabelle are special not just for their talent, but for their potential to crisis-proof their communities.
“Each product they sell and parcel they wrap,” she says, “is a sign that what they’re doing really matters.”
From their hands to yours
Running an e-commerce business from the bush comes with distinctive challenges, from long shipping distances and limited courier options to the risks of sending unique, often handmade products.
For Laura, every Featherdale piece she sends is one-of-a-kind and carries part of her family’s story, which makes delivery critical. “It’s a piece of me, a piece of the farm, going out into the world,” she says.
Parcel Protect was created to give e-commerce retailers like Laura, Annabelle and Lil peace of mind when sending their products, protecting orders if parcels are lost, stolen or damaged in transit.
With a quick digital claims process and options for resupply or refund, Parcel Protect reduces uncertainty from the delivery experience, minimising disruption and helping maintain customer satisfaction and loyalty.
“It means so much when someone chooses to spend their hard-earned money with us,” Lil says, “especially when they could easily buy from a bigger brand they already know and trust.
“Giving customers the confidence that their order will arrive in good condition, or be replaced if something goes wrong, is really important. It helps build the trust we need to grow as a small business and reassures people they can shop with us knowing they’ll get what they’ve paid for.”
When distance, weather and chance can undo so much hard work, protection matters. Parcel Protect gives regional retailers the confidence that every parcel they send can be protected against loss, theft or damage – no matter what stands in the way.
