The German post and parcel division of DHL Group said Monday it has launched a one-year trial with several online retailers to make it easier for consumers to have goods delivered to one of its parcel lockers.
Shoppers who order from participating businesses, such as Mosaik Tree GmbH (organic food and bone broth) and do-it-yourself home-and-garden store FarbenFux.de, now can direct orders to a DHL Packstation without pre-registering for the service.
Sending shipments, such as returns, to the machines is already possible without registration. However, if private customers wish to receive shipments directly at the Packstation, they must register at dhl.de, fill our forms and activate their device in the Post & DHL app. They then receive a unique postal number, which they can use to have packages sent to the Packstation when checking out in the online shop. These steps are omitted if customers order from participating online retailers during the pilot phase.
Customers simply enter the address of the desired Packstation when checking out in the online store. Once the DHL delivery driver has placed the shipment in the machine, they will receive a code via email that they can use to collect the shipment. The code can be scanned directly at the Packstation machine.
“We want to remove further hurdles to inspire even more customers to use the Packstation,” said Benjamin Rasch, DHL Parcel’s head of marketing and product management, in a news release.
Vending machines are becoming increasingly popular for receiving and sending parcels because they can be used around the clock and are located in central public locations such as supermarkets, train stations, company premises, and residential areas. In addition to providing customers added flexibility, parcel lockers can also reduce costs for couriers by making deliveries to a single point instead of multiple households. DHL Parcel says millions of Germans regularly use more than 15,500 Packstations nationwide to receive parcels.
If the trial is successful in driving increased use of Packstations, DHL Parcel said it will consider registration-free use a permanent feature of its delivery service.
Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch.
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