DPD has added parcel collection chain Doddle to its PickUp network of collection points.
In March the express delivery firm revealed that retailer Halfords would be part of its PickUp initiative, a planned collection of 2,500 parcel shops (rather than a dating website).
With e-commerce king, it’s just one of multiple offers now available to consumers that either can’t or don’t want to wait in at home for their deliveries – if for example, they're out on a date.
Indeed, the increasing demand for ‘click and collect’ services has seen a number of parcel shop concepts brought to market including Doddle itself, which typically has its stores at high footfall locations such as railway stations (perhaps not surprising given it’s a joint venture between Network Rail and Lloyd Dorfman).
If that’s not enough, CitySprint, which launched its first parcel shop late last year in Brighton, has just begun a trial of a new service in London called On the dot.
The service allows customers to specify a delivery hour, with SMS and email updates, in addition to live GPS tracking of their parcels. the service also guarantees that if a delivery misses the chosen one-hour window, the customer’s next delivery is free.
For retailers CitySprint suggests On the dot – perhaps a misnomer given it is an hour delivery window – will allow “small and independent retailers to benefit from delivery service normally reserved for bigger players, while giving Londoners convenient access to their favourite boutique stores at a time that suits them”.
Patrick Gallagher, CEO at CitySprint, added: “Anyone in the industry will tell you that consumer convenience is the most important consideration in online retail. In fact, it is an increasing point of difference.
“On the dot helps consumers build a unique retail experience around their own needs and gives retailers an opportunity to offer the ultimate convenience to their customers.”
Hopefully there will be a decent profit margin in all of this too.