InPost expands parcel locker network through French shopping malls
Polish parcel locker firm InPost has partnered with French shopping mall operator Mercialys to expand its network.
The two companies have just installed the first parcel locker terminal under the “Village.Services” project at the Nacarat shopping center in the Clermont-Ferrand area, operational as of this week.
In the near future the project will see 50 machines deployed.
The project aims to provide consumers with another reason to visit Mercialys shopping centres, while also offering a convenient location to collect online purchases away from home.
Consumers living nearby will be able to select the parcel locker as a delivery option when shopping online, and when the item arrives in a secure parcel locker, they are sent a code via text message in order to access the locker.
Ultimately the new parcel locker locations will add to InPost’s plans to deploy a network of 2,500 machines across France by 2016.
Olivier Binet, the chief executive of InPost France, said: The installation of our first Parcel Lockers at the premises of Village.Services in partnership with Mercialys is especially symbolic with regard to our constant engagement in rediscovering shopping experience together with the key players of the retail and distribution sector.”
InPost is working with the logistics firm Colis-Privé to provide click and collect services around France through its parcel lockers.
InPost, part of Poland’s mail and parcel operator Integer.pl Group, already claims to have more than 3,500 of its parcel locker locations up and running around Europe and further afield. It wants to deploy a further 6,000 terminals in Europe, Asia, the Americas and the Middle East.
The company has been arranging partnerships with various infrastructure, logistics and retail firms to find accessible locations for its parcel terminals. In the UK this has included Transport for London, the Morrisons supermarket chain and the Toys R Us toy shop chain.
Integer.pl Group issued financial results last week showing that revenue has grown 82% year-on-year in the first three quarters of this year, to PLN 436.73m (EUR 103.9m). The company has made a profit in the year-to-date of PLN 9.49m (EUR 2.25m).
A key factor in the growth was the spread of the company’s parcel locker systems across the world.
Rafał Brzoska, the president of Integer.pl Group, said he believed the performance meant the parcel locker business would reach break-even much sooner than expected.
“Amongst other markets, we have more than 1,000 innovative terminals in the UK and by the end of 2015 consumers there will be able to access up to 2,000 machines. In the near future we will add to this high level of reach with other thriving markets like Italy, France and Malaysia,” he said.
