DHL gears up for home, unattended and store deliveries

DHL is expanding in retail distribution with a two-pronged attack – one on home delivery and the other on supermarket supply of non-food items such as CDs, DVDs, books, greeting cards and similar items.

The company has just opened units in three Staples stationery stores – Telford, Bolton and Milton Keynes – to allow home consumers or small businesses to post parcels or to use the units as collection points for online or catalogue purchases.

In addition, DHL is looking at employing part-time drivers to offer evening and weekend deliveries. ‘We are talking to retailers to identify the best way to provide the delivery services both they and the consumer need at a respectable cost,’ explains Manish Joshi, general manager, express division.

The supermarket service involves consolidating goods from multiple suppliers for store delivery. ‘A lot of retail business has moved from the High Street to the supermarkets, and we want a share of that growth,’ Joshi explains.

‘But supermarkets are not geared up to have a DHL van deliver one parcel of, say, CDs. Supermarket supply chains rely more on bulk distribution and then timed deliveries to stores. So we are considering opening warehouses where we can collect goods from a number of suppliers and then consolidate them for timed store deliveries.’

Joshi also believes DHL would need to provide better information with the deliveries. ‘Usually, a delivery note is from one supplier, in the box. But if we’re consolidating orders, we will have to provide an itemised delivery note listing everything in our delivery.’

Reverse logistics is also being addressed. ‘When there is damaged stock or other returns, in-store staff often put it aside, but then can’t find it when someone comes to collect. So we are supplying cages marked ‘DHL’ and with the day we will collect it. All returned goods can be put into the cage ready for a regular weekly pick-up.’ Marcia MacLeod