InPost to install parcel terminals at supermarkets in UK and Italy

Poland’s Integer.pl Group has secured two agreements to install hundreds of its self-service parcel locker terminals at supermarkets in the UK and Italy. The company has agreed partnerships with the Morrisons chain of supermarkets in the UK and Carrefour in Italy.

It will mean consumers being able to pick up their parcels and e-commerce purchases, and potentially ship parcels, when carrying out their grocery shopping in store.

The Polish firm’s UK business InPost UK said it has installed its first bank of parcel lockers at the Morrisons store in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, with the potential to expand into more than 500 Morrisons supermarkets across the country.

Stacey Elsworth, estates data and information manager at Morrisons, said: “We have worked very closely with InPost over the past few months in order to install the parcel lockers at Morrisons sites across the UK. We are excited about this new venture and it offers a real opportunity to existing Morrisons customers, along with the local community, to have a parcel collection service that suits their needs.”

InPost states that it now has 1,000 parcel locker sites in the UK and is aiming to have 1,500 sites in the UK by the end of this year.

Andy Taylor, managing director at InPost, said: “InPost has set very high targets for the UK over the next few years. We deliver an exceptionally high level of service to our e-commerce and retail client base, as well as to the end consumer and we are passionate about our offer. With parcel collection taking just seconds, InPost hopes to become the preferred option for delivery in the UK.”

Italy

In Italy, InPost has signed an agreement with Carrefour to install up to 200 parcel locker terminals this year, out of a network of 1,100 Carrefour stores.

The Polish company said it is hoping to have 1,000 sites in Italy by the end of 2015.

Paolo Rangoni, Supply Chain Director for Carrefour Italy, said hosting the parcel terminals was part of his company’s strategy to provide new services for customers.

He said: “Time is very important for consumers – if they can easily and quickly dispatch or collect a parcel while doing everyday shopping, there is no doubt that they will appreciate this option and the parcel lockers provided by Inpost installed in Carrefour stores are in line with this principle.”

InPost has already agreed partnerships with TNT Express Italy to deliver parcels to parcel lockers in Italy, and with Italian e-commerce platform Banzai to allow shoppers to have purchases sent to parcel lockers.

The company said the Italian e-commerce market has “huge potential”, citing eMarketer data suggesting that the market was valued at EUR 11.3bn in 2013, with 18% year-on-year growth.

Stefano Moni, general manager of InPost Italia, said: “We are aware of the importance of being the best logistic service for such a dynamic e-commerce sector. I believe that InPost parcel lockers are the best solution for satisfying the expectations of online consumers.”