To offer more convenience to customers, Stonegate Group, the UK’s largest pub company, has partnered with parcel locker provider Quadient. This collaboration will see 400 new parcel lockers installed across 1,200 of Stonegate’s managed pubs, including well-known chains like Yates, Slug and Lettuce, and Walkabout.
The lockers, part of Quadient’s “Open Locker Network”, will allow customers to pick up and return online deliveries at any time, regardless of the delivery carrier (DHL, DPD UK, Evri, UPS are all supported). This network aims to provide convenient and secure parcel collection points integrated into people’s daily routines.
“We believe pubs are a central part of British communities,” said Claire Rust, Senior Buying Manager at Stonegate Group. “Parcel lockers will make our pubs even more valuable by offering a trusted location for neighbours to pick up and return packages.”
The lockers offer additional benefits like simplifying returns with built-in label printing and enhanced security to combat package theft, a growing concern according to Quadient (theft reports rose over 500% in the past four years).
“Our goal is to create a network where people can easily access lockers anywhere,” said Katia Bourgeais-Crémel, EVP Parcel Locker Solutions Europe at Quadient. “Pubs are ideal locations as they’re already established community hubs. This partnership will not only bring convenience to customers but also benefit the community by reducing delivery traffic and theft opportunities.”
Stonegate’s pubs become the latest addition to Quadient’s growing Open Locker Network, offering even more choice and flexibility for online shoppers across the UK.
Increasing competition in the parcel locker market in Germany
The DHL Group recently announced that it is expanding its service offering in Germany with the establishment of Automations-Lösungen, a subsidiary that will introduce the “OneStopBox” parcel station system, which is open to all providers. Unlike the existing yellow DHL Packstations, which are used exclusively for DHL shipments, the white OneStopBoxes can be used to send and receive parcels from all providers.
The plan is to install several thousand of these stations, starting with around 100 in major German cities this year, followed by 2,000 in 2025. The OneStopBoxes will be located in central, easily accessible locations and can be operated intuitively via an app or PinPad.
“We are breaking new ground with the OneStopBox,” explains Lukas Beckedorff, Managing Director of Automations-Lösungen. “It is the first provider-open station that can be used by DHL as well as other parcel service providers. Consumers also benefit from the integrated click-and-collect service, which allows them to pick up their orders around the clock.”
The OneStopBoxes complement the existing network of yellow DHL Packstations and offer consumers more flexibility and time savings when it comes to identifying and collecting parcels.