Co-op has signed a partnership with Royal Mail to install parcel lockers at its stores.
There are plans for Royal Mail to have lockers at 100 Co-op stores, with the first installations expected to take place in Aberdeen, Swansea, Brighton, Derby and Nottingham during the summer.
It is hoped the lockers will add an additional service for communities at Co-op stores, allowing people to drop off pre-labelled Royal Mail parcels and returns 24/7, with collection to be made available soon after
The lockers will provide label printing, meaning customers simply need to pay for postage online and print the label by scanning a QR code at the locker, or request a QR code if they are returning a purchase. Royal Mail’s prices start from as little as £1.55 online for a small parcel that fits through the letterbox.
Royal Mail launched its own parcel locker network in December to meet growing demand for convenient parcel drop-off and collection options from online shoppers and growing numbers of people selling on second-hand marketplaces.
The partnership will take the total number of parcel lockers at Co-op stores to over 900, via arrangements with parcel locker operators Amazon, InPost, Quadient and Yeep.
Director of partnerships and acquisitions at Royal Mail, Anna Malley, explained the logic behind the collaboration. “We are focused on rolling out lockers in locations that are as convenient as possible for our customers, so Co-op’s model of providing a hub for community services at its stores is perfect,” she said. “Our customers are sending more and more parcels, whether that’s returning online purchases or selling second-hand clothing on marketplaces, so it’s crucial that we give them a wide range of options to do so. This partnership will help us to expand our network, creating even more drop off points.”
Commenting on the partnership, Co-op’s head of online development, George Hayworth, said: “We are delighted to partner with Royal Mail, enabling Co-op to further expand its network of safe, secure and convenient parcel lockers. Co-op is focussed on developing added services and enhanced convenience – we aim to have the best small shops, and work to ensure our stores are a convenient destination for a range of services that meet local needs. Including growing our network of lockers to help residents, commuters and time-pressed consumers pick up or return parcels at a time that suits them, quickly, easily and conveniently.”
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