Are you really familiar with what is a parcel locker?
In this article, we want to help you understand the basics of what consists of a parcel locker and also help you clear your head with all the different terminologies you might have heard beforehand. Chances are that if you are not in Europe, you might refer to parcel lockers differently.
Let’s start with an overview of the most used terms worldwide for this type of use case.
Parcel Locker Expressions
Parcel lockers’ popularity goes beyond frontiers, but facts are that they might be more popular in Europe as they have been more widely adopted in countries like Germany and Poland.
However, in Europe, they are not frequently called Parcel Lockers but Smart Locker instead. This term is more commonly used to refer to a fairly recent piece of technology.
Contrary to Europe, Americans and Canadians do call them Parcel Lockers. On the other hand, England prefers the name Automated Parcel Machines (AMP) denomination.
In countries like India or UAE, the right way to call them is Electronic Lockers.
In South Africa and other countries on the African Continent, they rather call them Intelligent Lockers.
The truth is that regardless of the terminology, they all are the same product. Some differences apply, but before digging into the differences, let’s go through the definition and benefits that parcel lockers provide.
What is a Parcel Locker? – Definition
A parcel locker is essentially a smarter version of what we know as a conventional locker. These automated machines have become a key component in the digital development of the delivery sector.
Parcel lockers provide a safer storage option for parcels/package delivery; safeness is the key word, as porch piracy has always been a thread for us all. Hence, parcel lockers turned into a long-term solution to tackle this issue – no wonder why they have become the most popular out-of-home delivery in the last few years.
Parcel lockers adoption grows hand in hand with e-commerce-driven markets—no need to say that e-commerce reached unprecedented peaks in 2020.
Just to put things in perspective, in the UK alone, the digital parcel locker infrastructure is forecasted to hit 1 million pounds cumulative investment and go over 50.000 parcel machines.
Parcel Locker Benefits
Now that we have answered our main question “what is a Parcel Locker?”, let’s explore why parcel lockers are gaining popularity among other delivery methods all around the world.
Simply put like this, they benefit all parties involved in the delivery logistics.
Parcel lockers help couriers by allowing bulk parcel drop-off rather than door-to-door delivery, reducing unnecessary last-mile costs and CO2 emissions, an enormous advantage for courier companies.
On the customers’ side, parcel lockers offer convenience by freeing people from time restrictions retrieval, meaning they can be accessed 24/7 (if located in public spaces) and, even better, in a contactless way. Recipients no longer need to sign delivery confirmations and are in full charge of deciding where and when to get their parcels.
By downsizing last-mile costs and requiring less personnel for the delivery logistics, parcel lockers network become a much more affordable method, which might be their primary advantage.
Other than economic benefits, the hardware itself is a great marketing tool for delivery companies as it can be customized with the courier’s branding features, gaining higher visibility over competitors.
Moreover, according to research, in countries like France, parcel lockers are claimed to score much higher in the net promoting score (NPS) than PUDO counters.
Parcel Lockers & Smart Lockers – Differences
A complete understanding of the “what is a parcel locker” question wouldn’t be possible if we do not talk about the most common terminology of them all: Smart lockers.
We could say that the smart locker expression encompasses all locker forms with integrated software. Thus, a parcel locker that counts with software or any API technology inside, can basically be considered a smart locker.
People tend to use both terms as if there were interchangeable, but the truth is that not all smart lockers are parcel lockers, and not all parcel lockers are smart.
For example, there are traditional parcel lockers, those ones you can find in a post office, that just works as a parcel box and do not count with any type or form of software technology; therefore, they can’t fall under the smart locker umbrella.
Smart lockers are “basically” all electronics. They rely on a cloud to store data and communicate with operating systems.
Under the smart lockers umbrella, we can find models for many different use cases. Just like pharmacy or refrigerated lockers; parcel lockers are explicitly for standard package exchanges between particulars or retailers/e-commerce and final customers.
How Can Bloq.it Parcel Lockers Help Businesses Optimize Their Delivery Operations?
The aim of this article was to clarify the most common interrogation people have: “What is a parcel locker”.
We hope we were able to shed some light on such a new form of logistics, but in case you are wondering how Bloq.it can help optimize your business delivery operations, please reach out to one of our industry experts, and let’s find the best solution for your business, together.
At Bloq.it, we are at the forefront of locker systems integration and development for various industries.
We strive to develop the smartest application interface that adapts to companies existing workflow, letting you gain full power over the service interface with 100% adaptability.