01-06-2021
The number of e-commerce consumers is rising steadily throughout the Nordic region, so a convenient, versatile delivery set-up is crucial. The opportunity to collect what you have purchased from a parcel box that is available 24/7, week in and week out, and which is located close to where you live, work or pass by almost every day, is a highly appreciated supplement to home and service point deliveries.
“We’re convinced that this form of delivery is set to become increasingly popular as more and more people discover the benefits of e-commerce, and more parcels are sent by mail. We at PostNord consider it only natural to strive to live up to consumer demands for flexibility and convenience. That’s why we’re ramping up the pace of development and investing heavily in expanding our own network of parcel boxes in the Nordic region,” explains Annemarie Gardshol, CEO of the PostNord Group.
As a part of its expansive strategy, PostNord has now acquired SwipBox’s share of the Danish Nærboks network of parcel boxes. Nærboks was originally launched by PostNord and SwipBox in 2019 and encompasses fully 2,550 parcel boxes in Denmark. Through today’s acquisition, PostNord has become the sole owner.
The boxes have become particularly popular in the wake of the pandemic, as they allow deliveries to be made without any physical contact at all. PostNord’s goal is to have more than 12,500 of its own parcel boxes in the Nordic region before the end of 2022 and is already planning to invest in additional parcel boxes in 2023.
Consumers can already choose a parcel box as the delivery option in the checkout phase where boxes are already available in the immediate area. The parcel boxes can easily be set up outdoors and need neither electricity supply nor any other connection.
“We evaluate appropriate locations to ensure that the parcel boxes are installed in the most convenient place for parcel recipients; we also take into account aspects such as sustainability and the working environment for PostNord employees. Once the boxes are installed, this delivery option is added to the e-retailers’ checkout phase,” says Annemarie Gardshol.
Facts and figures
- PostNord currently has around 330 parcel boxes in Sweden, primarily in the large cities of Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. In July, the network will be expanded to encompass 620 boxes in approx. 350 locations all over the country, and the plan is to have a total of 4,500 boxes in Sweden by the end of 2022, covering not only the 30 largest towns in the country, but also rural areas.
- In Denmark, PostNord has 2,950 boxes of its own following the acquisition of SwipBox’s share of the previously jointly owned Nærboks network. By the end of 2021, the plan is to have 3 100 parcel boxes as part of Nærboks in Denmark.
- As regards Norway, PostNord currently has around 310 boxes in the capital, Oslo. The ambition is to have a total of 1,500 parcel boxes in the country by the end of 2022, with locations in Bergen and Trondheim in use as well.
- In Finland, PostNord currently delivers to shared network boxes, but a pilot project involving 100 own boxes in Turku and Tampere is planned for later this year. The long-term ambition is to improve the customer experience by establishing 600 own boxes over the course of 2022, primarily in the vicinity of PostNord’s terminals in the metropolitan areas around Helsinki, Turku, and Tampere.
Source: PostNord