Royal Mail to build parcel locker network at Sainsbury's

Royal Mail is ramping up its attack on InPost and Amazon by signing a major deal with Sainsbury’s to instal parcel lockers at stores across UK.

The move marks the first such agreement between Royal Mail and a UK supermarket to house its locker network, which launched in December to meet surging demand for parcel drop-off and collection points and to cater for the growing number of second-hand marketplace sellers.

Royal Mail now has 1,500 lockers, compared with around 8,000 operated by InPost and 5,000 operated by Amazon in the UK.

The lockers feature label printing, although customers need to pay for postage online and print the label by scanning a QR code at the locker or request a QR code if they are returning a purchase.

Sainsbury’s chief property and procurement officer Patrick Dunne said: “We’re always looking for innovative ways to deliver the best value, quality and service for our customers.

“That’s why we’re delighted to be partnering with Royal Mail to offer this fantastic new proposition at our stores. The lockers will be available seven days a week, giving customers an easy, convenient way to drop off and collect parcels via Royal Mail as they shop.”

Royal Mail group strategy and transformation director Jack Clarkson added: “Partnering with a retailer with the scale and popularity of Sainsbury’s is great news for our customers and the UK public, who will now have even more ways to drop off and collect their parcels in convenient locations.

“Due to the relentless growth in online shopping and secondhand marketplaces, there is increased demand from our customers for more parcel drop off and collection points.

“To meet our goal of making sending and receiving parcels as easy as possible, we must considerably expand our network. This is the start of an exciting partnership with Sainsbury’s that will help us to meet that goal at pace.”

TOPICS:ecommerce online shopping parcels Royal Mail