UK parcel delivery company Evri has announced it is investing £50m (US$68.5m) to create its own in-house network of smart lockers as part of its wider efforts to grow its out-of-home offering by 2030.
The company will double its ParcelShops and locker network to 25,000 in the next five years, rolling out 10,000 of its own lockers as part of this expansion. The announcement follows a 500% year-on-year increase in locker use, a trend that is anticipated to continue.
Martijn de Lange, CEO, Evri, said, “We are committed to offering greater delivery choices for the consumers, retail clients and businesses that we serve. This major multimillion-pound investment will establish one of the UK’s largest pickup/drop-off networks as part of our mission to become the UK’s premier parcel delivery business.
“Our expanding network of locations is shaping the future of parcel delivery in the UK with smart technology and greater accessibility.”
All lockers in the Evri network will have high-quality hardware with a label printer, drop box and parcel detection sensors and will be accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Customers will have the option for a completely contactless experience through geo-based near-field communication and will also be able to see a pre-arrival capacity indicator to ensure there is space before making a journey.
In related news, Evri has announced it will merge with DHL eCommerce UK in May, creating a new group that will deliver over one billion parcels and a further one billion business letters annually