InPost claims record performance for Polish parcel locker network

Poland’s InPost says last year saw a record number of Poles using its parcel lockers to collect e-commerce purchases. The number of parcels sent via the self-service machines grew by 90% compared to 2013 and 440% compared to 2012.

InPost, the private sector mail and parcel operator, part of the Integer.pl Group, said the average online shopper collected 17% more packages via its machines than in 2013.

The festive season peak saw parcel volumes in December 2014 up 67% compared to the month before, and 91.4% up on December 2013.

Rafał Brzoska, the Integer.pl Group president, said limited alternatives for delivery was a major factor keeping people from shopping online, which explained the popularity of the InPost parcel lockers.

He said 58% of parcels collected from InPost parcel lockers were picked up outside standard business hours.

Brzoska said: “Our terminals provide not only an extremely fast and reliable form of delivery, but most importantly they establish a new standard — they are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and the collection of an item from a locker takes only seconds to complete.”

During 2014 InPost installed card payment readers in its machines, most of which accept contactless payments.

The company also launched a new product returns service for online stores to take back unwanted items.

InPost claimed that 20m people have used its machines, and that 98% of customers are willing to re-use the service.

Beyond Poland’s borders, InPost said it has now supplied more than 3,500 of its parcel locker terminals to at least 17 countries on five continents. It has plans to deploy a further 6,000 in Europe, Asia, the Americas and the Middle East.