GeoPost and Neopost to partner on major parcel terminal network in France
French mail technology and services giant Neopost has announced a major partnership with parcel carrier GeoPost Group to roll out a network of 3,000 secure parcel locker terminals across France and in other parts of Europe. The company said today it will be following on from last November’s pilot project with Relais Colis in Paris with a EUR 50m expansion of the parcel terminal network, under the brand “Packcity”.
It would see the Neopost/GeoPost network in France surpassing the size of the Deutsche Post DHL “Packstation” network in Germany.
And, in the long-term the partnership is likely to take on an international aspect beyond the French borders.
GeoPost is the parcels subsidiary of the French state-owned postal service La Poste, which would see the parcel lockers used by its domestic parcel business brands such as ColiPoste and Chronopost.
Outside France, GeoPost brands like DPD will potentially be using the parcel lockers as alternative delivery points, particularly to provide 24-hour away-from-home access to parcels for e-commerce consumers.
The parcel lockers will also be used for consumers to return products to retailers or manufacturers.
Paul-Marie Chavanne, chairman of GeoPost, said: “We are delighted to have signed a partnership with Neopost, a major French group with a strong international presence, in order to develop new, modern, practical and efficient delivery solutions. The agreement currently relates to France, but the aim is to extend it abroad, starting with Europe, by adapting to local market requirements.”
Neopost’s share price received a boost this morning as the company first made public the news of its partnership with GeoPost.
Denis Thiery, the chairman and chief executive officer of Neopost, said the partnership with GeoPost would benefit all those involved in e-commerce in France.
“The agreement will enable us to further assert our ambitions in the logistics area, by strengthening our position as parcel facilitator,” he said.
Joint Venture
Neopost and GeoPost have signed an agreement to manage the project through a joint venture. Neopost will provide the lockers, operating software, installation and maintenance services.
The joint venture, Packcity France, will be in charge of operating two separate networks – with around 1,000 of the locker terminals dedicated to Geopost and the remaining two thirds of the network open for other carriers to use as well, along with large retailers offering “click and collect” services for e-commerce consumers.
Consumers using the service will receive a unique code by email or text message, with which they will be able to open the locker containing their parcel.
Gavin Macrae, the group executive director of corporate partnerships worldwide at Neopost, told Post&Parcel this morning that the plan was to roll out 1,500 locker terminals by 2016, and then double that in the long-term.
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“Locations will vary, but they will generally be in easily accessible areas with good footfall, like railway stations, city centres and shopping malls,” he said. “The network will be heavily focussed on urban areas, but 99% of the French population should be within easy reach.”
As with its Parisian pilot, Macrae said the GeoPost partnership will be using parcel locker technology provided by the manufacturer KEBA — a major coup for the Austrian company in an increasingly competitive market. KEBA was the company that provided Deutsche Post’s Packstations as far back as 2001, the German network now numbering more than 2,600 units.
