SingPost to trial personalised parcel locker delivery
Singapore Post has unveiled a new personalised version of its parcel locker delivery system, the POPStation. The postal service said its prototype has no user interface at all physically, and is operated entirely by a smart phone or device via bluetooth.
The system is designed to be used at the home, with SingPost stating that it will be particularly suitable for small businesses and consumers.
The new system, called P-POPS (Personal POPStations) will be integrated within SingPost’s existing POPStation network, which allows consumers to pick up e-commerce parcels away from home.
Lim Ann Nee, Senior Vice President of Singapore Parcel at SingPost, said: “P-POPS will dovetail SingPost’s plans to transform how we serve our customers and strengthen our parcel delivery service in Singapore.”
P-POPS are being developed by SingPost’s existing parcel locker supplier, Australian firm TZ Limited, which also calls them OurPAD units.
SingPost is to pilot the P-POPS system using technology from Australian firm TZ Ltd
TZ said the P-POPS are powered by three AA batteries, which will provide around 12 months of operating time.
Mark Bouris, TZ executive chairman, said the new innovation should “set another benchmark in expanding the boundaries of last mile parcel delivery”.
He said: “We are confident that this new product offering will become a significant part of our portfolio and the patented technology elements will filter into our other offerings. This is a world first for TZ and demonstrates our capability to deliver state-of-the-art technology that our customers and the market are demanding.”
POPStations
TZ has just received another order from SingPost for 25 more of its full POPStation units, which will take the total number supplied to Singapore’s postal service to 125.
On Saturday SingPost celebrated the installation of its 100th POPStation since first launching the network in April 2013. The company revealed that it plans ultimately to double the size of the network to 200 to meet customer demand.
Ann Nee said: “SingPost invested in the POPStation to further raise the level of convenience for customers, particularly with the growth of ecommerce items. It was very well-received as it has revolutionised parcel collection and delivery processes for both customers and service providers in Singapore.
“We were inundated with requests for more POPStations during the six-month pilot. We worked hard to roll out and within a short span of 1.5 years, increased the number of POPStations from five to 100, deploying one POPStation every four working days.
“We have also added new innovative features to enhance customer experience such as POPStation app, posting of parcels and payment service for online purchases. POPStation is popular with consumers. Parcel volumes to the POPStations have increased six-fold.”
