InPost lockers are to be installed across Tesco superstores by the end of November. In total lockers will be available at about 500 sites, of which more than 200 are already in place, where shoppers can collect, return and send parcels from retailers that InPost works with – including Missguided, New Look, Holland & Barrett and Schuh.
Louise Goodland, head of strategic retail partnerships at Tesco, says: “The new partnership will enable customers to collect and send parcels alongside their weekly shop. We know our customers are always looking for ways to make their lives easier, and to save time and effort. The new lockers will help them do just that.”
Tesco has moved straight to installing InPost’s parcel machines across all of its large format supermarkets rather than piloting the scheme first. The move will support its ambition to be a zero carbon business by 2050. Once the network is fully operational, InPost says it has the potential to save 250,000 last mile deliveries, reducing carbon emissions by up to 70% per parcel, compared to home delivery. While shoppers will be able to use the lockers to collect and return parcels from a variety of retailers, they will not as yet be able to do so for Tesco.com orders.
The deal means that InPost will have about 2,500 lockers in the UK. It aims to have about 3,000 by the end of 2021 and more than 10,000 by 2024.
Jason Tavaria, chief executive of InPost UK, says: “We’re incredibly proud to provide Tesco shoppers across the country with the most convenient way to collect parcels and make returns. Very soon they’ll also be able to enjoy our enhanced service for posting items, making it even easier to skip the queues and send parcels using lockers.
“People are always looking for new ways to access essential amenities and convenient services that fit in around their busy lives, saving them time and effort. Our lockers do just that. And by reducing the number of deliveries needed, the new lockers will reduce local traffic, helping create more sustainable, greener communities.”
Tesco is an Elite retailer in RXUK Top500 research.
