DHL Packstations headed for nationwide coverage in Germany
DHL has announced plans to double its network of automated parcel drop-off and collection points for private customers in Germany and complete nationwide coverage by 2009.
The DPWN subsidiary said it will add another 1,500 machines to the existing 900 Packstations by the end of 2009. As a result, 90 pct of Germans will then be able to access one of the 2,400 Packstations within 10 minutes.
Customers can use Packstations to ship and collect parcels and packages 24 hours a day. In addition to the 13,500 retail outlets and 1,000 parcel mailboxes that will be available by 2008, the increased number of Packstations will give the parcel service of Deutsche Post World Net the densest web of parcel collection and mailing points in the German market by far.
The roughly 900 German Packstations are currently used by 700,000 registered customers, and the trend is still pointing upward. The offer has been embraced with particular enthusiasm by singles and working people as it allows them to dispatch and collect their parcels entirely independently of traditional home delivery and without having to pay heed to the opening times of retail outlets.
Already today, most Packstations allow customers to dispatch their EU-wide shipments without prior registration as the necessary parcel and package stamps are also available at the Packstation – for one euro less than at the retail outlet. In addition, the Packstation accepts C.O.D. parcels up to a value of 1,500 euros.
