Geocode technology company what3words and DHL Parcel UK have begun offering a what3words field at checkout to enable shoppers to specify exactly where they want their deliveries to go.
Once entered at checkout, the what3words address is seamlessly passed on to DHL Parcel UK so its couriers can find and navigate to delivery destinations with ease, no matter how hard they might be to find. what3words has divided the world into a grid of 3 x 3m squares and given each square a unique combination of three words: a what3words address. It’s designed to be an easy way to find, share and navigate to precise locations anywhere in the world. DHL customers can discover their what3words address via the free what3words app – available for iOS and Android – or what3words online map.
DHL Parcel UK first rolled out the what3words location technology to its UK parcel app in 2022. According to the partners, a quarter of people in the UK find that their full postal address doesn’t direct people, deliveries or services exactly to their front door. The companies point to the UK’s duplicated street names, broad postcode areas and delays in new-build address registrations. With what3words’ address system, DHL expects its drivers to find delivery locations more easily at the first attempt, so last-mile routes can be better optimized for efficiency and emissions.
Peter Fuller, CEO of DHL Parcel UK, said, “The latest stage of our partnership with what3words really extends the benefits to more customers and consumers. It gives shoppers the convenience of being able to specify their exact delivery location at the point of checkout and gives retailers even more confidence that their goods will be received on time, without complication. It’s a smart, innovative solution that allows us to improve the service quality even further.”
Chris Sheldrick, co-founder and CEO of what3words, added, “what3words is now being used at critical points throughout DHL Parcel UK’s delivery infrastructure. This means that everyone, from a customer purchasing an item at checkout, right through to the courier, can benefit from the precision of a what3words address. It’s fantastic working with DHL Parcel UK – a true innovator in the space, adopting new technologies to maintain and evolve the world-renowned service that it provides.”