Parcel lockers have become an integral part of e-commerce. According to Venipak’s study, this is the most popular method of parcel delivery, used by 51% of customers at least once a month. In the future, their popularity will only increase, stimulated by the growing volumes of parcels and the improved features of the lockers themselves.
With the boom of online shopping platforms and the growth of e-commerce, the parcel locker market could grow to 1.23 billion euro in 2027. Currently, the market is valued at 621 million. So, what parcel locker features are driving the growing demand?
Latest Trends
Parcel lockers are developed for storing and managing goods, ordered online. They ensure a fast delivery process, security of parcels, and provide recipients with flexible options for picking up and returning goods. The lockers are also evolving, with more added features that make the technology even more convenient for the customers. Two of the latest trends are contactless and refrigerated parcel lockers.
1. Contactless Parcel Lockers
The demand for contactless lockers began with the pandemic. Companies are increasingly installing contactless parcel lockers to deliver parcels safely. Recipients can pick up the goods without touching the surface with their hands, reducing the chances of an infection. Venipak was the first company in Lithuania to introduce these lockers, installing them in Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Šiauliai, and Panevėžys last Autumn.
2. Refrigerated Parcel Lockers
With the popularity of online shopping, the amount of food ordered online is increasing too. According to a study by Fortune Business Insights, the volume of grocery shipments will continue to grow, making refrigerated lockers a convenient solution to keep products fresh for as long as possible. They will also be useful when ordering medicines, herbs, and cosmetics.
The Most Important Features of Venipak’s Parcel Lockers
1. Fast Delivery
Parcel lockers increase the delivery efficiency 3-4 times compared to regular individual home delivery. Because there is no need to stop for each parcel, the courier route gets significantly shorter. This means that the recipients can expect their goods to arrive much faster, with as much as 99% of Venipak’s parcels being delivered to the lockers in just 24 hours. Furthermore, due to the convenient locations of the lockers and the possibility to deliver a large number of parcels to one location, CO₂ emissions and congestion in the city are reduced.
2. Smooth Pick Up
Long queues at parcel lockers are certainly not satisfactory, especially if you have to spend a long time entering the door code or other data to pick up the shipment. It is crucial to make the process of collecting parcels as simple as possible. That is why our team guarantees that Venipak’s lockers are long-queue-proof, and it only takes 5 seconds for the recipients to pick up the parcel.
3. Safety of Parcels
The parcel lockers must be sturdy and have quality locks that ensure the goods will wait for the recipient and will not be damaged by weather conditions. Another important aspect is hygiene – Venipak’s lockers use a QR code system and allow recipients to pick up the parcels without even touching the surface. The technology is especially useful in the winter, as the parcel can be collected without taking the gloves off.
Future of Parcel Locker Network
To strengthen its position in the B2C sector, Venipak will install 250 new parcel lockers and pick-up points in Lithuania and 200 in Latvia this year, while 150 more will be installed in Estonia in 2022. During the next few years, Venipak expects to establish a network of 2000 parcel lockers and pick-up points in the Baltic states.
Finally
With the development of technology, parcel lockers are becoming an increasingly attractive solution for customers to receive their shipments in a fast and convenient way. To retain customers, it is important for e-commerce businesses to offer the most user-friendly delivery options.
If you are considering expanding the list of delivery methods in your e-store, contact the Venipak team.
