06-11-2017
DHL Parcel has expanded its network to include roughly 3,400 Packstations, with more than 340,000 compartments in over 1,600 cities and municipalities nationwide. This means that it takes ten minutes or less for 90% of the population in Germany to reach a nearby DHL Packstation where they can send and collect DHL items. DHL Parcel will continue to expand its network of Packstations in Germany and is already planning to install additional Packstations in major German cities. Certain other locations will also be added and offer a new, more compact Packstation type. Thanks to the smaller design, the new Packstations can be set up in places unsuitable for the larger and more common Packstations already in use. The first Packstations of the new type are already in operation in Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt, Bochum and Cologne. By the end of 2018, several hundred more of the new Packstations are to be installed across Germany.
"Our Packstation network is the only of its kind in the world and remains a true breakthrough in parcel delivery. The ongoing development of the Packstations is also a key success factor. We have again significantly expanded the number of locations in Germany and plan to continue adding new ones in the future so that we may offer our ever-growing customer base a way to send and receive private items in a way that can be integrated even more smoothly into their daily schedules," explains Achim Dünnwald, CEO of DHL Parcel. "This is why we are specifically looking for central public locations where we can install our Packstations, such as in supermarkets and train stations."
DHL Parcel is not only expanding the number of Packstations - it is also making them easier to use. Towards the end of the year, for example, it will be possible to print out mobile parcel stamps directly at the Packstation. This means that customers will not only be able to visit DHL retail outlets and print out parcel stamps previously purchased online; they can also go to one of the roughly 3,400 DHL Packstations nationwide and then send their parcel directly. The parcel stamp can be purchased at any time using DHL online franking or the DHL app. The order confirmation e-mail sent to the customer will contain a PDF download link and QR code, allowing them to print out the parcel stamp directly at the Packstation. This service will be replacing the purchase process for classic parcel stamps at the Packstations. In addition, the collection and payment for cash-on-delivery items will only be offered at the 13,000 Deutsche Post DHL retail outlets.
Another change is the new customer card, which will initially be given to newly registered customers. Existing customers can continue using their old customer cards. In the future, lost or defective customer cards will then also be replaced with the new model. The new card has the same magnetic strip as the old card, along with a new barcode that makes using the Packstation even easier. This way, the customer can simply scan the barcode when they collect their item, enter the mTAN they are sent and then collect the item from the Packstation. The same two-factor authentication used in the past, which requires the customer card and item-specific mTAN sent to the mobile telephone number saved in the system, ensures that the parcel Packstations continue to offer the same consistently high standard of security as they always have. Only when both security factors have been verified can the item be taken from the Packstation.
The DHL Packstations have not only enjoyed longstanding popularity in Germany; DHL Parcel has already successfully deployed the parcel Packstations in Austria and the Netherlands, too, and is currently running a test project with the new station model in the Netherlands. "After launching in the Netherlands, we shall then continue rolling out our Packstations in other European countries," says Achim Dünnwald. With a European network currently consisting of around 4,900 Packstations or similar collection stations, DHL Parcel is again showing that it is the leader and innovator in the cross-border parcel business.
Source: Deutsche Post DHL