CollectPlus has signed up the 5,000th store in its national network of parcel collection points, where shoppers can pick up their online orders or drop off returns.
The locally-based parcel delivery service, a joint venture between Yodel and PayPoint, added nearly 1,000 – or a fifth – of those stores in the last year alone. It says the expansion means 87% of online shoppers are now within a mile of urban CollectPlus stores and 88% within five miles of a rural store. CollectPlus members include convenience shops, supermarkets and petrol stations, most of which are open from early morning until late at night.
“The strength of our business is its convenience,” said Mark Lewis, chief executive of CollectPlus. “This can only increase for a retailer’s customer base as we expand the network of stores that offer our services. Consumers expect delivery and returns services that are seamless, cost-effective and fit in with their day-to-day lives.
“Our continual focus on the expansion of our network of stores, through which people can drop off and pick up parcels, help retailers have a greater number of physical touchpoints with their customers – an important point of differentiation in a changing omnichannel environment.”
Visvalingam Manivannan, owner of the 5,000th CollectPlus store, the Hanging Hill Lane Costcutter in Brentwood, Essex, said: “It is very exciting to be the 5,000th store in the CollectPlus network. We’re delighted to be offering the local community a parcel service that meets the needs of their busy lives. As we provide free parking, using CollectPlus services here couldn’t be easier or more convenient for our customers. The service also provides a great opportunity for us to attract more customers and grow as a business here in Brentwood.”
CollectPlus now has 160 retail customers, with Amazon a recent new client. Over the last year parcel volumes have grown by 250% and the company now processes 7m parcels a year. TNT Post has also recently announced that UK etailers can now drop off their international parcels using CollectPlus. Bob van Ierland, director, international parcels, at TNT Post, said: “Already 30% of all online cross-border trade in Europe comes from the UK. In addition, a majority of online entrepreneurs in the UK plan to expand internationally within the coming 12 months.
“They will need access to international shipping services around the corner. This is why TNT Post’s global distribution capabilities, together with CollectPlus’ dense and accessible drop-off network makes a strong combination. We are delighted to work with CollectPlus to further support growth of international e-commerce from the United Kingdom.”
CollectPlus uses technology from joint venture partner PayPoint to power its parcel service and says it has plenty of room for growth since PayPoint works with more than 24,000 convenience retailers in the UK. CollectPlus says new potential stores are identified using customer insights from its retail partners.
CollectPlus signs its 5,000th store, while TNT Post unveils new international service for smaller etailers over its network
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