Platform-driven post-purchase Spaces
International Post Corporation (IPC) defines parcel lockers as automated parcel machines that can serve as alternative delivery locations or can constitute a stand-alone delivery network depending on the density. They say that for logistics companies, 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗹 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻, 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 and 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁-𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝘀 𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲.
However... It is very difficult though for one carrier to provide a high level of PTD (Parcel Turnover per Day) on its own, which means that some of the cells are idle. In addition, there is a struggle for locations in big cities and a reluctance of users (for example, in-residence buildings) to put 3-4 players at one location.
Local governments could benefit from 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿-𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁-𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆, as they can potentially increase the out-of-home coverage for all carriers and reduce the distance that any carrier fleet has to drive to deliver a full load of e-commerce items.
An open parcel locker network is certainly a scenario that cities and municipalities would prefer, because their perspective is to make sure that everybody has access to all parcel lockers within their area, regardless of who delivers their parcel.
𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀?
Location will be harder and harder to secure in the future though, which several sources from the industry mention as a current or future challenge. A definition of a good location is different depending on the type of locker, as some require electricity and ethernet access, while others only operate on batteries and use cellular data.
One common 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 (shoppers or commuters) 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝘂𝗽 𝗶𝗳 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱.
Provided that the parcel locker model is modular, you can always scale down if the actual usage is lower than anticipated.
However, an installation setting that does not allow for scaling up (adding additional modules) can potentially stifle the location’s potential (more and more consumers would choose that location but their parcels would often be redirected to other lockers due to volume saturation), which means that more and more carriers will look for lockers, which are easily deployed and scalable.
Direct4.me smart parcel lockers offer a solution for all issues presented - 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿-𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰, 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲!
By being adaptable to every vertical - from home delivery to a public network of parcel spaces, they offer flexibility that is quite rare in the parcel locker market. They are 𝗯𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆-𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆, which means they can be installed and working virtually anywhere in just under 10 minutes.
Spaces 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 and even without a mobile app, as unique 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮-𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿-𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱. Being smart devices without a built-in internet connection (i.e., Wi-Fi or SIM card), they 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀. The mobile phone of a user delivering, receiving, or sending a parcel is used to exchange all the information needed to the back-end system.
𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗹 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, which then act as one parcel locker station. And because they offer the possibility of the open delivery flow, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺, which would then mean that only that particular carrier can use the spaces for its delivery process.
To learn more about the solutions we offer and the possibility to build and expand your last-mile infrastructure, contact our sales at sales@direct4.me.