Parcel Pending by Quadient: Supporting MORE Distributors with Smart Lockers

Distributors are facing unprecedented challenges. Economic uncertainty, potential tariffs, digital transformation pressures, and intensifying competition are reshaping the industry. In this environment, exceptional customer service isn’t just a differentiator; it’s essential for cementing lasting loyalty.

This blog explores how Parcel Pending by Quadient smart lockers can help distributors deliver superior service to contractors and customers across a variety of distribution types and needs.

The Current Market Challenges

Tariffs are a key concern for virtually every executive and business owner. In a recent McKinsey study, changes in trade policy rank almost as high as geopolitical concerns in terms of disrupting the global economy.¹ This supply chain uncertainty adds another layer of logistical hurdles to an already challenging supply chain environment. It’s no surprise, then, that leading distributors are taking steps to mitigate the impact of tariffs and implementing new playbooks on how to proceed in their business.

At the same time, distributors are facing direct competition from their manufacturers. Digital platforms and direct-to-consumer capabilities now allow manufacturers to sell directly to end users, cutting distributors out of the equation entirely. This fundamental shift is reshaping how products move from production to purchase, forcing distributors to prove their value to customers in ways they never had before. As Deloitte observes: “Despite the disruptive forces impacting distribution and many of its long-held orthodoxies, this ‘customer first’ belief holds for the current inflection point.”²

As contractors and other distributor customers continue to adopt the on-demand shopper mindset, they recognize that their distributors of choice must also provide a seamless, multi-channel, and convenient method to shop and collect parts and supplies for their job sites.

Lockers Deliver MORE for Distributors

Here are just a few of the ways that smart lockers can deliver more for distributors, their branch teams, and their contractors and customers:

MORE Accessibility

Smart lockers provide distributors with comprehensive 24/7 pickup solutions designed to accommodate SKUs of all types and sizes, including oversize options for larger parts or supplies like pipe runs (up to 11 ft.), air handlers, water heaters, and smaller coil rolls. This round-the-clock availability means distributors can fulfill orders anytime, allowing contractors and customers to retrieve their purchases outside regular business hours without requiring delivery trucks or extended staffing.

MORE Efficiency

The efficiency gains with lockers are immediate and measurable. Smart lockers alleviate counter congestion – particularly important during peak seasons – and free up staff to focus on phone orders and providing enhanced in-branch support. This reallocation of resources improves service quality across all touchpoints while reducing operational bottlenecks.

MORE Automation

Perhaps most importantly, smart lockers deliver seamless automation through Parcel Pending’s open API, which integrates with any ERP system. Existing integrations with industry-leading platforms like Epicor Eclipse and Advantive’s DDI System demonstrate the technology’s versatility and provide fast-start solutions for distributors with these systems in place. The moment a customer retrieves an item from the locker and closes the door, the integration automatically closes the transaction, bills the customer, and updates inventory records, creating a completely streamlined process that eliminates manual intervention and reduces the potential for errors.

MORE Value-Added Service for Electrical Distributors

In the face of continually changing customer expectations, smart lockers can provide added benefits for electrical distributors. For instance, what were once considered value-added services have become baseline requirements, as consumer-grade convenience now drives B2B relationship demands.

For electrical supply distributors, enhancing their value proposition through streamlined ordering and improved customer satisfaction isn’t optional; it’s essential for survival. As Ryan Rambsy, director of marketing and digital solutions at State Electric, explains: “…our primary digital commerce priorities revolve around maintaining our position as an industry leader while enhancing customer experience and expanding our toolsets. Our main goal is to ensure a seamless and frictionless journey for our customers, encompassing not only procurement but every facet of their interaction with us.”³

With smart lockers reducing or altogether eliminating counter congestion and providing service outside standard business hours, electrical distributors can turn their focus to delivering more value-added services for contractors and customers, such as project management, material management, or job site logistics services. Most importantly, lockers mean electrical distributors can offer these services without necessarily having to hire additional workers.

MORE for Accessibility for HVAC/Plumbing Distributors

Smart lockers can transform how HVAC and plumbing distributors handle urgent requests, especially those emergencies when an AC unit fails or pipes burst. Instead of scrambling to coordinate deliveries or leaving expensive materials vulnerable, contractors can access what they need immediately through secure, 24/7 locker systems.

This is particularly crucial for high-value items like copper piping, which no distributor can afford to leave exposed for contractor pickup. Parcel Pending’s oversized lockers solve this challenge by accommodating up to 90% of typical in-store products. These robust systems can be installed both indoors and outdoors, providing round-the-clock access that builds customer loyalty through unmatched convenience.

The oversized locker solution represents a significant leap in automated fulfillment capabilities. Whether added to existing locker networks or configured as new installations, these oversized solutions streamline operations while expanding the range of products that can be fulfilled automatically and – most importantly – when convenient for contractors and customers.

And MORE…

Distributors face unprecedented challenges from economic uncertainty, tariffs, and manufacturers selling directly to customers, making exceptional customer service essential for survival. Parcel Pending by Quadient smart lockers helps distributors of all types deliver superior value through 24/7 automated pickup solutions that accommodate most branch inventory, while integrating seamlessly with existing ERP systems to streamline operations and build customer loyalty.

Interested in learning how smart lockers can deliver MORE for your distributor business? Speak to a Parcel Pending by Quadient representative today to get more information.

Sources:

1. Panikkar, R., Prince, S., Leonard, B., et al. Navigating an ever-evolving trade environment. www.mckinsey.com. March 19, 2025. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/industrials-and-electronics/our-insights/distribution-blog/navigating-an-ever-evolving-trade-environment
2. Agarwal, S. & Blissett, G. Wholesale distribution trends. www.deloitte.com. n.d. https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/Industries/consumer/articles/wholesale-distribution-trends-disruption.html
3. Brohan, Mark. How electrical supplies distributor State Electric sparks change to drive more digital commerce www.digitalcommerce360.com. March 8, 2024. https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/2024/03/08/how-electrical-supplies-distributor-state-electric-sparks-change-to-drive-more-digital-commerce/