Virgin Wines is using locker deliveries to offer a click and collect service this Christmas.
Shoppers with the wine retailer can have their orders delivered to local InPost lockers, where they can collect whenever is convenient.
Jay Wright, chief executive of Virgin Wines, said convenience was key to the partnership. “Wine is big in Britain and buying it online is becoming increasingly popular because it’s just so much more convenient – particularly when stocking up the wine rack for special occasions,” he said. “We’re always looking for ways to give more choice to our customers and adding InPost’s network of physical pick up points means they have even better flexibility when they shop with us. We’re all leading ever-busier lives so ensuring an easy and efficient shopping and delivery experience when people buy wine online with us is incredibly important.”
When online shoppers proceed to check out on the Virgin Wines website they can, as of this week, opt to have the bottles delivered to their nearest InPost locker. Confirmation texts of dispatch and delivery enable shoppers to track their delivery while collections can be made around the clock.
Jonathan Smith, chairman of InPost , said: “One of the challenges we look to resolve with our InPost lockers is the frustration and time wasted from a missed delivery, for shoppers, retailers and couriers alike. Our locker data shows that 60% of items are collected between 7pm and 7am at night, showing how much people value being able to collect at their own convenience and this way, purchases wait in for the customer rather than the other round. Linking up with Virgin Wines means we effectively provide more than a 1000 click and collect wine shops across the country and shoppers can pick up their cases in seconds at a time to suit them.”
InPost now has a network of 1,000 automated lockerbanks, whose sites include Morrisons supermarkets, petrol stations, train stations and Transport for London sites, outside retailers such as Toys R Us and at local shops across the UK.