DHL eCommerce and Poste Italiane launch joint parcel locker venture


DHL eCommerce and Poste Italiane have launched a joint venture, Locker Italia, to establish a network of 10,000 parcel lockers across Italy. These user-friendly lockers, available at key locations nationwide, are designed to offer a seamless experience for customers, regardless of which carrier handles their parcels. The first locker was unveiled in Rome on September 16, marking the beginning of this expansive rollout.

The lockers will be strategically placed in central and commercial areas, offering both accessibility and security. Poste Italiane also aims to assist citizens who may be less familiar with digital technology, ensuring the service is accessible to all. DHL eCommerce supports Poste Italiane by connecting its parcels to DHL’s European network, while Poste Italiane handles deliveries across Italy for DHL eCommerce and DHL Parcel Germany.

Pablo Ciano, CEO of DHL eCommerce, emphasized that Locker Italia is a significant milestone in the strategic partnership between DHL and Poste Italiane. By integrating DHL’s parcel volumes into Poste Italiane’s extensive network and introducing a provider-agnostic locker system, the venture aims to become the leading parcel locker provider in Italy, bringing a new level of convenience and security to both shippers and customers.

This is the latest development in what is a rapidly developing area for the European parcel delivery industry. Last month, Royal Mail announced that it partnered with Yeep! to roll out 1,000 new parcel lockers across the UK by January 2025, expanding customer options for sending and receiving parcels. By early 2025, Royal Mail customers will have access to over 21,000 locations, including 2,500 lockers, Post Offices, Collect+ stores, Customer Service Points, and parcel postboxes. This partnership aligns with Royal Mail’s strategy to modernize its services and offer more convenient options to meet customer needs. Yeep!, which launched the UK’s first battery-powered parcel locker, plans to expand its network to 3,000 lockers by the end of 2025, further enhancing parcel collection and drop-off convenience across the UK.

InPost recently launched a pilot program in Poland, Italy, France, and the UK to test energy-efficient, solar-powered parcel lockers. These autonomous lockers, powered by photovoltaic panels and energy storage, can operate without access to the electrical grid while maintaining full functionality. Installed in cities like Gdansk, Krakow, Florence, and London, with more planned for Lille, the lockers feature energy-saving options, such as reduced lighting after dusk. To ensure continuous operation during bad weather, grid-connected “mother machines” recharge the lockers’ batteries. This innovation aligns with InPost’s decarbonization goals and expands their locker network to previously inaccessible locations.

Author: Paul Chapman 

Global Supply Chain Intelligence (GSCi)

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