Venipak, an international parcel delivery service provider, has introduced the first contactless parcel terminals in the Baltic states. The company has noticed that while clients tend to seek for options to collect parcels conveniently and safely, the new-generation parcel terminals are already helping to meet these expectations.
Since customers started purchasing online more frequently last year, the tendency is far from subsiding this year. Venipak, an international parcel delivery service provider, saw a 50% increase of parcels in January, in comparison to the same time in 2020.
Given the mobility restrictions during the country-wide lockdown, parcel collection methods that ensure both convenience and safety have become all the more relevant. The said consumers’ needs are therefore fulfilled through an innovation introduced by Venipak—contactless parcel terminals, which are already gaining momentum in Lithuania. Meanwhile, the company is further setting up the first set of parcel collection terminals in Latvia, and soon—in Estonia.
Pandemic-induced innovation
Last December, Venipak set up the first 11 contactless parcel terminals in Lithuanian cities with the largest parcel volumes—Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Šiauliai, and Panevėžys.
The parcel terminals were designed with a simple operating principle: once the parcel arrives at the terminal, the buyer receives an SMS with a link to a QR code. To collect the parcel, the code is scanned by the camera inside the terminal and the door opens subsequently. This method of parcel collection is expected to contribute to the management of coronavirus since people do not have to touch the surface of the screen or wait in line at the terminal—parcel collection time is reduced from 30-45 seconds to 3-5.
“The introduction of the option to deliver parcels to contactless parcel terminals in December was not coincidental,” said Justas Šablinskas, General Manager at Venpiak. “The pandemic only accelerated the installation of the company’s parcel terminal network. We had assessed the forthcoming record-breaking volumes of parcels during the Christmas season and had observed the growing coronavirus cases. Therefore, together with courier delivery service or delivery to either our partners’ parcel terminals or pick-up points, we offered people another means for parcel collection aimed towards the ultimate safety. For some of the customers this was the first time they got to use contactless parcel terminals.”
Most activity—in Vilnius
Venipak has calculated that parcel volumes were at their highest in the middle of December, and the peak stayed the same until Christmas. Although courier delivery remained the main Venipak’s service, the company soon discovered a rapidly developing customers’ inclination to choose other parcel delivery alternatives.
For the convenience of its clients, Venipak initiated the partnership with the Lithuanian Post in December in 2020. The partnership now allows Venipak to deliver parcels to 260 LP EXPRESS parcel terminals, giving customers an opportunity to choose the most convenient parcel collection method from a far larger network of delivery points—the partner owns the total of 458 delivery points in Lithuania. While consumers tend to collect under 30% of all parcels delivered through Venipak network from the shops and service centres of Venipak’s partners, under 70% of parcels are delivered to partner and Venipak’s parcel terminals.
“We are seeing the tendency that the residents of Vilnius are the most active users of the new parcel terminals,” said Mr Šablinskas.”The majority of parcels are delivered to our parcel terminals in Naujamiestis, Antakalnis, and Pilatė. We consider these first results as positive and have no doubts that more and more consumers will get accustomed to the fast and safe use of the contactless parcel terminals.”
Contactless parcel terminals soon in all Baltic states
According to Mr Šablinskas, Lithuania will soon be joined by other Baltic states in employing contactless terminals.The company is setting up the first 5 parcel terminals in the neighbouring country—Latvia—where a network of contactless parcel terminals is planned to be expanded to approximately 200 by the end of 2021.
“The pandemic has changed the consumers’ expectations and, accordingly, the priorities of parcel delivery services,” said Mr Šablinskas. “Current parcel collection point infrastructure in Latvia is not sufficient enough to satisfy customers’ needs. Given that as many as 90% of domestic parcels are delivered through parcel terminals, we are setting up the contactless parcel terminals here as well to offer people an additional safe method to pick up their parcels.”
Mr Šablinskas concluded that Venipak is planning on active investments in developing both parcel terminals and pick-up point networks by the end of 2021, the latter expanding from the current 90 to 500 pick-up points. The expansion tasks will be implemented in Estonia as well throughout the year.
“We are planning on developing a joint network of almost 2,000 parcel terminals and pick-up points in all Baltic states,” said Mr Šablinskas. “This will allow us to become one of the largest parcel collection networks in the Baltics in the next several years. We are going to invest over EUR 6M to achieve these aims.”
About the Venipak Group
Founded in 2004, Venipak, the international parcel delivery company, offers efficient parcel logistics solutions to businesses and private customers in the Baltic states, Poland, Germany, the USA and China. Each year, the company improves its courier services, invests in technological solutions for e-commerce, and expands its parcel delivery network. Currently, nearly 600 parcel collection points are available for customers in the Baltic states. With annual revenues of up to EUR 50 million, Venipak plans to develop a network of nearly 2,000 postal terminals and parcel pick-up points over the next few years, and to become one of the largest parcel delivery networks in the Baltics.