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up their packages. Or they can be gleaming standalone structures like the UPS
prototype in Chicago. There is even talk
of developing temperature-controlled
lockers that can accommodate shipments
of perishables.
THE PUSH INTO CANADA
Although the parcel locker model is relatively new to the United States, it’s a
familiar one in other parts of the world.
For a number of years, parcel lockers have
been part of the landscape in Europe,
where densely populated and space-con-strained urban centers make the lockers
relatively popular.
The biggest splash in North America
is occurring in Canada, where InPost
Canada, a joint venture of UCAN Post
Inc. and Polish firm Integer.pl group, a
major European parcel locker company, is working on a pilot project with
Canpar Courier, one of Canada’s largest
couriers, to use lockers for second-deliv-ery attempts if the end customer is not
present at the primary location. InPost
Canada deployed its first locker last
November and handled its first parcel in
early August. It has received $127 million
in financing from various parties; most of
the financing went to easyPack, the operating name for the European parcel locker
concern. InPost Canada started with 200
locker locations and plans to operate
1,000 nationwide by the end of 2016, the
company said in late May.
Tony Jasinski, InPost Canada’s CEO,
says the company’s business model is
“agnostic,” meaning it will make its equipment available to retailers, delivery firms,
or just about anyone willing to pay for
it. According to Jasinski, InPost Canada
offers a ready-made network that enables
users to avoid the hassles and expense
of site selection, operation, and maintenance. Some companies will try to build
locker networks on their own but may find
they’ve underestimated the work involved
just in finding suitable locations, not to
mention the ongoing costs and resources
to market and operate the equipment. At
that point, they may decide to turn to a
company like InPost Canada with a core
competency in the segment, he said.
Jasinski said, and Robinson of UPS
InPost Canada has also devel-
oped a “virtual address” program
for Canadian consumers that want
to order from U.S. retailers that
currently don’t deliver in Canada.
Under the program, Canadians can
have merchandise delivered to a specially designated InPost Canada U.S.
address. InPost Canada will then
transfer the parcels to a locker in
Canada for pickup. Consumers will
pay a fee for the program, Jasinski
said.
