PostNord and SwipBox expand their pilot in Denmark
PostNord and SwipBox have expanded their pilot project in Denmark, which is the foundation for a possible countrywide network of parcel lockers called “Nærboks”. Nærboks is Danish for nearby locker.
Building on the installation of 200 parcel lockers in Kolding (reported earlier this month), 40 brand new parcel lockers were installed in Sonderborg and the surrounding area on April 26. Customers can now choose to have their parcels delivered into the new lockers.
“We are very happy about Sonderborg Municipality giving us the opportunity to expand our pilot, so it now includes both Kolding and Sonderborg. It is essential that we gain as many experiences as possible during the pilot, before we roll out the concept to the rest of Denmark, so every Dane can enjoy the Nærboks concept,” says Allan Kaczmarek, CEO of SwipBox.
The expansion of the pilot has been made possible by the great willingness to collaborate from Sonderborg Municipality and local businesses, who see the advantages of the new network of parcel lockers. Because of this, some parcel lockers are located on municipal plots, while other parcel lockers have been set up at supermarkets, gas stations and in residential areas.
“We want to make life easier for all Danes when they have to pick up the increasing number of parcels from online shopping. The parcel lockers will as a rule be placed in walking distance from where people live, which means that the new parcel infrastructure not only offers an easy and comfortable way to receive parcels but is also environmentally friendly,” says Peter Kjær Jensen, CEO of PostNord in Denmark.
Nærboks can be opened with an app on the customer’s phone, which communicates with the parcel locker using Bluetooth. SwipBox has developed the parcel lockers, which run on batteries and are easy to install as there is no need for an external electricity source or an internet connection.
The new network is operated by Nordic Infrastructure, a company owned by SwipBox and PostNord. During the pilot in Kolding, and now Sonderborg, functionality and user-friendliness of the parcel lockers will be tested and improved upon, while evaluations of how logistics providers, senders and recipients find Nærboks will be gathered to determine the plan for the future rollout of the project.
Nordic Infrastructure is operated as an agnostic parcel locker network, which means that any logistics provider can deliver parcels in Nærboks.
