DHL to add thousands of new drop boxes across US
DHL has announced that it will add thousands of new drop boxes to its network beginning in December as part of a program expected to bring the total number of DHL drop box locations in the U.S. to more than 32,000 by year-end 2005.
DHL’s drop box investment program involves the replacement of the company’s 16,000 existing U.S. drop boxes with newly constructed drop boxes characterized by a unique contour, user friendly design, and the distinctive DHL yellow and red colors. In the second phase, DHL expects to rebrand an additional 6,000 drop boxes which will be deployed to new locations in order to better meet the needs of DHL’s growing customer base. These initial phases of the program are slated for completion by April of 2005. Finally, beginning early in 2005, the company plans to introduce an additional 10,000 new drop boxes to the U.S. network.
The locations of the new drop boxes will be determined based on various factors, including proximity to customers, ease of access, population density, and small business market growth.
Customers will be able to utilize a variety of DHL Express domestic and international services via the DHL drop box network. Each new drop box will feature a time stamp indicating the time of the latest pickup, an indicator unit which alerts customers to the pick up status of the box, a description of DHL services available, as well as access to materials such as packaging, waybills and labels.
“With this new drop box investment program, we are making it easier and more convenient than ever before for U.S. consumers and businesses to ‘DHL’ their packages across the country and around the world,” said Dick Metzler, executive vice president of marketing for DHL Americas. “The new DHL drop box network is proof of DHL’s commitment to small and medium businesses in the U.S. by offering easier, highly visible access to DHL’s rapidly expanding domestic network as well as the unparalleled international network that connects more than 220 countries and territories worldwide.”
The thousands of newly constructed drop boxes that are being added to the DHL network, together with the rebranding of existing drop boxes, will expand the company’s street level footprint and provide DHL’s growing U.S. customer base with convenient access to DHL services. DHL’s current network of U. S. customer access points includes coverage to every ZIP Code in the country through DHL Service Centers, DHL drop boxes, and retail shipping locations. DHL’s investment in an enhanced U.S. drop box network will provide customers with greater flexibility and choice for their shipping needs, and is expected to significantly increase DHL’s customer access points to over 37,000 throughout the U.S.
