Latvian Post pilots parcel pickup at Statoil filling stations

Latvian Post has formed a partnership with fuel retailer Statoil Fuel&Retail Latvia to allow consumers to receive parcels at filling stations. The two companies will launch a pilot project this month at seven locations in the Latvian capital Riga, in which customers of certain mail-order catalogue companies will be able to designate their local filling station as an alternative delivery address.

The project will mean working consumers can receive items up to 7kg in weight bought from distance sellers including Otto, Bon Prix and Select when they are away from home during the day.

Latvian Post said it is anticipating a two-month study before making a decision on continuing and expanding the service.

Latvian Post chairman Māris Kleinbergs said: “The cooperation project with Statoil is only the first step in the innovative Latvian Post plan to bring the customer ever closer and more user-friendly services. We will try more and more to expand services to our customers in a convenient and efficient way.”

Access

The Statoil project will see catalogue customers sent an electronic notification – either a text message or email – or a physical message through the mail when their parcel arrives at the filling station designated for collection during the transaction process.

Latvian Post said customers would be able to access their packages 24 hours a day through the filling stations. Items will be available for 10 days after the notification messages are sent.

After 10 days – and for packages above 7kg in weight – parcels will be available to collect from a local post office, but items will incur daily storage fees.

The Post said as the project evolves, it expected to increase the number of participating distance sellers that would want customers to be able to make use of the alternative collection points.

Commenting on the project, Statoil Fuel & Retail Latvia executive director Ilza Siliņa said for her company, the project was part of its effort to make its filling stations the best place for drivers to stop.

“We are confident that customers will appreciate the convenient offer – receiving items ordered from catalogues at their own convenience and preferred location – and we expect to be able to expand the service to our other filling stations,” said Siliņa.