Royal Mail to introduce parcel lockers in push to keep pace with rivals

[gt94sss2]

Royal Mail is planning to introduce parcel lockers that will allow people across the UK to collect their own online shopping orders, as the company races to modernise and keep up with rivals such as Amazon.

Nick Landon, chief commercial officer, told the Financial Times that the former state-owned group was “actively working” on installing lockers that will store parcels until collection by customers, copying a service offered by the US ecommerce company and other competitors.

The proposals are the latest attempt by the 507-year-old postal service to meet the growing demand for 24-hour online shopping deliveries. Royal Mail remains the UK’s largest delivery group, but it has lost market share as postal workers resisted plans to change working practices and the company struggled to adapt to the changing market.

The lockers — which allow consumers to collect online purchases at their own convenience, rather than waiting at home for a package to arrive — could also reduce the group’s dependence on postal workers as it continues to face criticism for high vacancies and low staff morale.

The rise of ecommerce globally has led to an increase in parcel lockers, which have enabled other couriers to cut labour costs.

Landon said in an interview that both consumers and shippers were “becoming increasingly reliant” on parcel lockers, and that Royal Mail needed to ensure it was “addressing all of the market”. “It won’t be long” until they were developed, he added

Landon said the company was focusing on reaching “a position where we are profitable” and “a position where we are growing and winning back market share on the back of great service”.

He said this would be “first demonstrated with what we deliver this Christmas and then really focused service enhancements going into next year”.

Extract from https://www.ft.com/content/7d220d6e-b1c ... d7e064480a

[ted_e_bear]

Haha as usual RM late to the party, no doubt they'll do something like install them in the do car park.... behind the locked gates

[richietns]

Why cut the locker hours,does this company even know what direction its going there's far more space in the actual locker for the rise in parcels than some cupboards on the street.

[SpacePhoenix]

Why cut the locker hours,does this company even know what direction its going there's far more space in the actual locker for the rise in parcels than some cupboards on the street.

Parcel lockers are still needed. Some DOs will cover a wide geographical area or be in a town where public transport is s**t. Parcel lockers will making it easier for some people. Is your DO located within the area that it covers, where there's good public transport or it's easy to walk to from say a shopping centre? Given how some DOs have been moved onto industrial estates, not all DOs now will be located within the geographical area that they cover.

[richietns]

Why cut the locker hours,does this company even know what direction its going there's far more space in the actual locker for the rise in parcels than some cupboards on the street.

Parcel lockers are still needed. Some DOs will cover a wide geographical area or be in a town where public transport is s**t. Parcel lockers will making it easier for some people. Is your DO located within the area that it covers, where there's good public transport or it's easy to walk to from say a shopping centre? Given how some DOs have been moved onto industrial estates, not all DOs now will be located within the geographical area that they cover.

My point is space they seem to be backtracking again and saying we need our lockers more when they've just cut or stopped some altogether,most places let's be honest you have to get transport to collect even with secure high street parcel lockups.

[enskied]

Why cut the locker hours,does this company even know what direction its going there's far more space in the actual locker for the rise in parcels than some cupboards on the street.

Exactly. Spend millions of £'s on these new street lockers , then the ongoing rental of site space. RM will spectacularly fail to maintain the lockers as they fail to maintain anything.
When they could just man the secure locker that is the callers office until 8:30pm.

[clashcityrocker]

When they could just man the secure locker that is the callers office until 8:30pm.

The lockers don't get sick pay, holiday pay or a pension.

[SpacePhoenix]

Why cut the locker hours,does this company even know what direction its going there's far more space in the actual locker for the rise in parcels than some cupboards on the street.

Exactly. Spend millions of £'s on these new street lockers , then the ongoing rental of site space. RM will spectacularly fail to maintain the lockers as they fail to maintain anything.
When they could just man the secure locker that is the callers office until 8:30pm.

Given how many staff many DOs have lost recently would they have the staff these days to be able to have the callers open a long time?

[richietns]

Why cut the locker hours,does this company even know what direction its going there's far more space in the actual locker for the rise in parcels than some cupboards on the street.

Exactly. Spend millions of £'s on these new street lockers , then the ongoing rental of site space. RM will spectacularly fail to maintain the lockers as they fail to maintain anything.
When they could just man the secure locker that is the callers office until 8:30pm.

Given how many staff many DOs have lost recently would they have the staff these days to be able to have the callers open a long time?

Like enskied said you have to rent the street space etc when you could pay one member of staff and have s**t loads of space even only till 6 pm or so.

[richietns]

When they could just man the secure locker that is the callers office until 8:30pm.

The lockers don't get sick pay, holiday pay or a pension.

The street lockers can only hold a tiny amount.

[Mr Rush]

Haha as usual RM late to the party

You'd think RM was still a state-owned enterprise with this kind of lumbering delayed reaction. I can remember delivering to a shop with Amazon lockers when P&L came in!

[enskied]

When they could just man the secure locker that is the callers office until 8:30pm.

The lockers don't get sick pay, holiday pay or a pension.

I understand what you are saying Space, I think RM are once again missing the bloody obvious advantage that they have.
It would require massive financial investment and infrastructure, on going costs and as I said maintenance.
Or use the local secure infrastructure that they already and cover it with a PT evening duty.

I once sat in a management meeting in my pre postal life and told the boardroom that their 150 year old company would be bankrupt in 20 years if they continued their current policies and chasing the trend. That company no longer exists on the high street, the vast empty stores do. It still exist by name (brand) only online. But it no longer the same company, it pretends to have heritage, yet it is now a new online only store with just about five years real history behind it.

[postslippete]

There are a lot more larger parcels coming into our network now that won't fit in small locker boxes. Reducing the times of the callers office is a backward step and I've heard many complaints from people standing outside the office asking why it's only open for 2 hours a day. Its proof that Royal Mail is following their own agenda. Like someone said it only needs to be manned by one staff to work an 8 hour shift. If the office is open all day for staff then why can't it be open for people to collect their parcels??

I might have already answered this question in another post...

[enskied]

When they could just man the secure locker that is the callers office until 8:30pm.

The lockers don't get sick pay, holiday pay or a pension.

I understand what you are saying Space, I think RM are once again missing the bloody obvious advantage that they have.
It would require massive financial investment and infrastructure, on going costs and as I said maintenance.
Or use the local secure infrastructure that they already and cover it with a PT evening duty.

I once sat in a management meeting in my pre postal life and told the boardroom that their 150 year old company would be bankrupt in 20 years if they continued their current policies and chasing the trend. That company no longer exists on the high street, the vast empty stores do. It still exist by name (brand) only online. But it no longer the same company, it pretends to have heritage, yet it is now a new online only store with just about five years real history behind it.

Please excuse my manners. That was Clash not Space