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5 ways open network lockers benefit communities

Blog
Quadient
21 Oct 2024

Parcel lockers are quickly becoming a vital service for towns and cities. They allow local authorities to generate income while providing a secure and convenient way for people to send and receive parcels. However, there's much more to these lockers than just convenience. With Quadient’s Open Locker Network, local authorities can create a new revenue stream without any upfront investment while promoting environmental sustainability, supporting communities, fostering safer streets, and reducing congestion.

The environmental impact of parcel deliveries

Lowering carbon emissions is a crucial objective for local authorities, as it supports community health and well-being while preserving the environment. Residents are also keen to see change. 31 percent surveyed reported that their council had failed to deliver promised environmental improvements (61% in London), underscoring the importance of investing in sustainable solutions.

Deliveries contribute to traffic emissions by increasing the number of vehicles on the road, cruising for parking, increasing dwell time (the time a vehicle stays parked while the driver distributes packages), and redelivery attempts. According to government figures, transport is the largest emitting sector of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, producing 26% of the UK’s total emissions in 2021 (a 2% increase on the previous year). On average, 204 kilotonnes of CO2e were emitted by transport in each local authority (increased from 281 the previous year). Of the total emissions, 17% came from vans.

Residents are mindful of the emissions and road miles associated with parcel deliveries and the environmental impact of making individual trips. Research reveals that 31 percent want to reduce the number of parcels they receive for economic and environmental reasons and 42 percent would prefer to pick up an order to reduce their carbon footprint.

Reducing congestion

A key benefit to parcel lockers is that they can help reduce urban congestion. A single locker system can increase parcels delivered by one van from 60 to 600 (compared to home delivery) and can reduce the amount of time spent on the road by more than half.

Lockers in super convenient locations can also reduce the number of trips residents take. 52 percent admit they would cut the number of journeys they take if their council provided the amenities. In fact, they are willing to replace nearly 50 home deliveries per year with trip chaining (i.e., combining parcel management with another activity into a single trip) given the right solution (e.g., parcel lockers) – the equivalent of 2.25 billion kilometres per year driven by carriers in the UK alone.

Community convenience

Many over the counter parcel services are traditionally nine-to-five businesses, which can be an issue for individuals, such as shift workers, who need to pick up or drop off parcels outside of these hours.

Since lockers are self-service and can be placed in 24/7 accessible locations, residents can avoid needing to visit during standard business hours. This has proven to be a popular option, with 40% of parcels in the Royal Mail locker network being collected outside of the standard 9-5—some even at 2 a.m., which shows there is a demand for this type of convenience.

“If you put the right customer experience near peoples’ homes or on the route to their gym, office, or transit station, people will use it,” says Gary Winter, Vice President of Global Strategic Initiatives at Quadient. “If it’s in that magic, five-minute “slipper distance” – a hyper-convenient location – they’ll get comfortable with it very quickly. If a locker is that close, it doesn’t feel like an inconvenience.”

Promoting community

Bringing people together in any way can help build a sense of community and social cohesion, particularly in areas where people might feel isolated or disconnected.

Another outcome of conveniently placed parcel lockers is driving footfall to local services. When placed in public, accessible locations such as community centres, gyms, town halls, and libraries, they can promote engagement with these facilities. In fact, 40 percent of residents have used local businesses more regularly because they make it easy to pick up or drop off parcels.

Safer streets

The UK is dealing with a growing problem of package theft with parcels being stolen from doorsteps, apartment buildings or porches. Our consumer survey results support this sentiment, with 35% of respondents reporting being more worried about package theft now than before the pandemic.

Providing parcel lockers as an Out-of-Home delivery alternative can help create a safer environment for residents by reducing package theft in neighbourhoods. With 72 percent of residents open to using them, and 50 percent believing they would make their community safer, the benefits of investing in parcel lockers are clear. This innovative solution offers a win-win scenario for local authorities, businesses, and consumers alike.

If you are interested in exploring Open Network Parcel Lockers for your community, explore our framework here.

Author

Quadient