Amazon customers can now collect their online orders from 10,500 Post Office branches, in a move that more than doubles the number of pick-up locations offered by the online giant.
Shoppers can now choose from more than 16,000 points to collect parcels sent by the UK’s biggest online retailer.
The move comes at a time when the volume of deliveries made up to Amazon’s pickup locations across the country have more than tripled. Shoppers can have their orders delivered to Post Office branches through Royal Mail Local collect.
“Pickup Locations have become the delivery method of choice for many shoppers,” said Christopher North, managing director of Amazon.co.uk. “Offering the collection of packages from Post Offices is another great way of providing our customers with the highest levels of convenience.”
Amazon customers select their preferred Pickup Location during checkout at Amazon.co.uk and then present identification at the Post Office branch to receive their parcel. Delivery to Post Offices branches is free for Amazon Prime members or charged at First Class delivery rates to non-members.
Existing Amazon Pickup Locations include ‘Pass My Parcel’ stores, Collect+ stores and Amazon Lockers.
Commenting on the news, Angela O’Connell, strategy and mrketing director at MetaPack, said: “This partnership reflects the growing pressure on all players in the ecommerce industry to provide more convenience and choice for consumers. Gone are the days of 9am to 5pm office hours and services which revolve around the business, not around the customer. As delivery services evolve, post offices will play a growing role as parcel collection points alongside newsagents, lockers at train stations and convenience stores. The challenge will be on Royal Mail to continue to increase flexibility in opening times and pick up locations in order to stay competitive in this dynamic marketplace.
“As more and more retailers take Amazon’s lead and introduce alternative delivery options, customers will be able to benefit from faster and more flexible delivery services. However, the onus is now on all industry players to keep the momentum and continue to innovate to provide a better delivery experience to shoppers.”
The news came as locker company InPost announced the launch of InPost Direct , which small business owners, entrepreneurs, online marketplace sellers and consumers can use to send low volumes of parcels from their nearest lockerbank.
Jonathan Smith, chairman of InPost UK, said: “The launch of InPost Direct makes our 24/7/365 automated locker network, the largest of its kind in the UK, even quicker and more convenient to use. Ultimately, everyone wants a delivery service that offers flexibility, ease of use and gets parcels to their destination quickly and securely, particularly during the busy Christmas period. InPost Direct is an accessible, hassle-free, automated solution for people who don’t want to wait in a Post Office queue or wait in for a courier.”
