Austrian Post unites all major parcel service providers under one parcel station umbrella
Österreichische Post AG and myflexbox Austria GmbH are launching a cooperation with parcel stations. To this end, Austrian Post rents pick-up lockers at all of the approximately 550 myflexbox parcel stations in Austria.
In addition, the parcel stations will be branded together in clearly visible postal yellow to ensure visual recognition for customers. Austrian Post’s services at myflexbox parcel stations are expected to be available throughout Austria in the next few weeks. Thanks to this cooperation, almost 80 percent of all parcels in Austria can also be received by Austrian Post and partners such as Amazon, DHL and Hermes in one infrastructure.
This cooperation complements Austrian Post’s self-service (self-service) locations, which are available around the clock, by using the myflexbox compartments for so-called “direct to locker” delivery. This means that parcels must be actively ordered there or redirected digitally via the Post App or to post.at, and they are not automatically deposited there if the recipient is absent. Pre-franked parcels with a return label or a Austrian Post parcel stamp can also be posted at the myflexbox parcel stations.
“Thanks to our cooperation with myflexbox, a pick-up station in the Schlippfenradius is a big step closer for many Austrians. We can make full use of the capacities of our own self-service network and at the same time support the open approach of providers such as myflexbox by renting around 17,000 additional pick-up lockers at around 550 locations. In this way, we are combining the best of both worlds to offer our shipping and receiving customers the densest and largest parcel station network in Austria,” explains Walter Oblin, Member of the Management Board for Mail & Finance and designated CEO of Österreichische Post AG.
Jonathan Grothaus, Co-CEO & Founder at myflexbox, adds: “This is a historic moment for myflexbox and open parcel stations across Europe. Our long-awaited vision comes true: Thanks to the cooperation with the postal service, almost all parcels in Austria can now be processed in a myflexbox. All major parcel service providers are united under one parcel station umbrella and also offer the full range of services, such as pick-up, dispatch and returns. Austria is thus the first country in Europe where all major parcel services are fully integrated in a single parcel station network.”
Lukas Wieser, Co-CEO & Founder at myflexbox, says: “This improved offer is an excellent service for our location partners and all users. Valuable urban spaces are thus used even more efficiently. We are pleased that this will further accelerate our Austria-wide network growth towards 1,000 locations.”
The first joint location in Austria in Vienna-Favoriten, Maria-Lassnig-Straße 1, was presented today at a media event by Austrian Post and myflexbox and ceremoniously put into operation. The other 550 or so locations in all provinces will be continuously converted from now on in order to be ready for Austrians in time for the parcel peak season during the Christmas season.
INNOVATIVE AND SUSTAINABLE: MYFLEXBOX AS A STRONG PARTNER
myflexbox is a corporate start-up founded in 2018 by Salzburg AG that has developed into a smart city company for provider-independent smart locker systems. The company cooperates for locations with non-profit and private housing associations, municipalities and cities, infrastructure companies, food retailers, petrol stations and many more.
According to myflexbox, “direct-to-locker” delivery not only saves time and unnecessary journeys, but also CO2 emissions. Direct delivery to a centrally located myflexbox parcel station eliminates the need for logistics companies to make delivery attempts at home and thus vehicle kilometres, and recipients can better organise their individual transport, which ultimately saves CO2 emissions on both sides.
AUSTRIAN POST OPERATES THE COUNTRY’S LARGEST SELF-SERVICE NETWORK
The cooperation with myflexbox is helping Austrian Post to massively expand its round-the-clock self-service services in both urban and rural areas. With around 640 self-service pick-up stations, almost 120,000 self-service pick-up boxes, more than 560 self-service dispatch stations and shipping boxes and around 77,500 postal boxes, Austrian Post already operates the largest smart locker network in Austria.
