How Evri Offer Simple and Convenient Parcel Deliveries and Collections

Parcel deliveries are now a part of everyday life as consumers and businesses alike take advantage of the convenience of online shopping. However, the ‘last mile’ involved in getting parcels to their destinations can often be the most challenging.  A priority for retailers and parcel delivery companies, therefore, is to help customers who aren’t always at home during the day receive their goods and arrange returns. 

Parcel delivery giant Evri is one of four international carriers that have joined the Quadient smart locker open network in the UK. Evri uses technology to drive efficiency and enhance service across its operations, providing convenient drop-off and collection points at its ParcelShops and through its locker delivery service, where customers can send and collect parcels.  

Parcel lockers with label printing 

This year, Evri saw an opportunity for its locker delivery service to offer the same level of service as its ParcelShops. Customers who use the lockers to drop-off a parcel must scan a barcode or enter a number printed on the shipping label, so Evri enhanced its locker delivery service by incorporating Drop Box and Printer capability from Parcel Pending by Quadient. This added functionality provides consumers who might not have a printer at home the option to print labels directly at the locker, simplifying the returns process for them.  

Kath Gill, Head of ParcelShops at Evri, explains: “Currently, 60% of Evri’s out-of-home volume has a label printed within a ParcelShop, and this service is extremely important to customers who don’t have the ability to print labels at home, or who transact with Evri through a mobile device.” 

A mobile-friendly strategy supports customers for whom a mobile phone may be the main, or the only, route to getting online. Such is the growth in internet traffic from smartphones that retail sales in the UK from mobile commerce (m-commerce) are forecast to surpass £100bn in 2024.  

Drop Box Lockers from Parcel Pending by Quadient. enhance the locker experience. The award-winning lockers include a built-in label printer, so customers can print return labels at the locker hub before placing parcels directly into the deposit box. In addition to returns, online orders can be collected and delivered, making the Drop Box an all-in-one solution for Evri. 

“Lockers give customers 24/7 access to collect and drop off parcels,” says Kath Gill. “It works around their schedules and day-to-day life. The Drop Box functionality improves the capacity at each location and the label printing functionality is for customers’ convenience.” 

Locker hubs maximise driver efficiency and sustainability for Evri too by reducing the number of trips to individual addresses. Out-of-home parcel management, through lockers, consolidates deliveries and collections at hub locations for fewer journeys, thereby saving time and emissions.  

Secure parcel storage 

Parcel Pending by Quadient is an automated smart locker system that securely stores parcels. Recipients can collect their parcels at any time and receive automated notifications when they have a delivery. They access the self-serve lockers using a one-time PIN or barcode, which they receive with their notifications. 

As well as providing a convenient way for customers away from home during the day to collect their delivered parcels and send their returns, lockers can keep packages secure from ‘porch pirates’. These thieves target packages left on doorsteps, in porches or the lobby areas of apartment buildings.  

Shockingly, parcel thefts in the UK rose by 57% in the last year, according to an analysis of police data by Quadient. 

Out-of-home delivery solutions, including through parcel lockers, play a pivotal role in curbing such theft. They provide a safe and convenient point for both couriers and recipients to exchange parcels, keeping them secure until they are ready to collect, eliminating the chance of porch piracy.  

For Evri, Drop Box lockers in optimal locations enhance the out-of-home solution. Kath Gill says: “We deliver to the lockers, but we also divert to the lockers as well. They can be used as customer drop-off points for customer-to-customer and also for returned parcels. The label printing is widely used, and the Drop Box functionality improves the customer experience when depositing multiple parcels.” 

For further information, find out more about Drop Box Lockers. 

To learn more about how Evri couriers and customers benefitted from Drop Box Lockers submit your details below to read the full case study: