CollectPlus parcel volumes more than doubled this Christmas
UK parcel retail network CollectPlus has said its volumes over the Christmas period surged 250% higher than the previous year’s total. The company, a joint venture between delivery firm Yodel and payment firm PayPoint, said the seven weeks up to January 5 saw more than half a million parcels delivered or returned through its network of more than 4,500 corner shops.
The figures reflect similar growth in parcel volumes seen by other UK parcel companies this year, but also stem from this year’s growth in the CollectPlus network and a festive TV advertising campaign.
CollectPlus provides its services via partner-run convenience store counters, and saw its network grow by 20% in the past six months, and says its network is now a third the size of the UK’s Post Office network.
Over the Christmas period, CollectPlus featured in television advertising linked to the Very.co.uk online retailer, part of Shop Direct Group.
The ads encouraged consumers to use the Click & Collect service from CollectPlus, where items ordered online can be collected at a CollectPlus outlet, which generally have more flexible opening hours than post offices. One in five Very.co.uk parcels are now picked up via CollectPlus, the company said.
The importance of consumers using the network for returns was signaled in the fact that Tuesday 3rd January was recorded as the busiest day of all for CollectPlus during the festive season.
“Impressively strong”
CollectPlus said overall for 2011, it doubled its parcel volumes and was now handling more than 4m items a year, peaking at 125,000 items a week in the run-up to Christmas.
Mark Lewis, the CollectPlus CEO, said the festive experience suggested customers were looking for easy, flexible options for delivery and returns.
“The last six months have been impressively strong for CollectPlus as more retailers and shippers realise the benefits of our service,” he said.
“We now have over 100 retail brands taking advantage of our returns service and as we move into 2012, our next area of focus will be to further develop our Click & CollectPlus service, already successfully used over the Christmas period by House of Fraser, Very and M&MDirect.”
