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May 3, 2021 at 9:36 PMVenipak, an international parcel delivery service provider, has launched the first contactless parcel terminals in the Baltic States. The company has found that customers are looking for ways to conveniently and securely pick up packages, and the new generation of parcel terminals is already helping to meet these expectations.
(Frankfurt/Vilnius) After customers began shopping online more frequently last year, the trend continues to rise this year. Venipak, an international parcel delivery service provider, recorded a 50% increase in parcels in January compared to the same time in 2020.
Given the mobility restrictions during the nationwide lockdown, methods of parcel pickup that ensure both convenience and safety have become even more important. These consumer needs are being met by an innovation introduced by Venipak – contactless parcel terminals, which are already on the rise in Lithuania. Meanwhile, the company is establishing the first series of parcel collection terminals in Latvia and soon in Estonia.
An Innovation Inspired by the Pandemic
Last December, Venipak set up the first 11 contactless parcel terminals in the Lithuanian cities with the highest parcel volumes – Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Šiauliai, and Panevėžys.
The parcel terminals were designed with a simple functional principle: as soon as the parcel arrives at the terminal, the buyer receives an SMS with a link to a QR code. To pick up the parcel, the code is scanned by the camera inside the terminal, and the door then opens. This method of parcel pickup is expected to help contain the coronavirus, as people do not need to touch the screen surface or wait in line at the terminal – the parcel pickup time is reduced from 30-45 seconds to 3-5 seconds.
“The introduction of the option to deliver parcels to contactless parcel terminals in December was no coincidence,” said Justas Šablinskas, General Manager at Venipak. “The pandemic has only accelerated the installation of the parcel terminal network. We had anticipated the upcoming record parcel volume during the Christmas season and observed the rising coronavirus cases. Therefore, we offered people another option for parcel pickup, in addition to courier service or delivery to our partner parcel terminals or pickup points, which is focused on maximum safety. For some customers, it was their first time using contactless parcel terminals.”
The Most Activity in Vilnius
Venipak calculated that the parcel volume peaked in mid-December and remained high until Christmas. Although courier delivery remained Venipak’s main service, the company soon discovered the rapidly developing trend of customers choosing other parcel delivery alternatives.
For the convenience of its customers, Venipak began a partnership with the Lithuanian Post in December 2020. This partnership now allows Venipak to deliver parcels to 260 LP EXPRESS parcel terminals, giving customers the option to choose the most convenient parcel pickup method from a much larger network of delivery points – Venipak delivers parcels to a total of 458 delivery points in Lithuania. While consumers tend to pick up just under 30% of all parcels delivered through the Venipak network at the shops and service centers of Venipak partners, just under 70% of parcels are delivered to partner and Venipak parcel terminals.
“We see the trend that the residents of Vilnius are the most active users of the new parcel terminals,” said Mr. Šablinskas. “The majority of parcels are delivered to our parcel terminals in Naujamiestis, Antakalnis, and Pilatė. We view these initial results positively and have no doubt that more and more consumers will get used to the fast and secure use of contactless parcel terminals.”
Contactless Parcel Terminals Soon in All Baltic States
According to Mr. Šablinskas, other Baltic States will soon implement contactless terminals alongside Lithuania: The company is setting up the first 5 parcel terminals in neighboring Latvia, where the network of contactless parcel terminals is expected to expand to around 200 by the end of 2021.
“The pandemic has changed consumer expectations and, accordingly, the priorities of parcel delivery services,” explained Mr. Šablinskas. “The current infrastructure of parcel acceptance points in Latvia is not sufficient to meet customer needs. Since up to 90% of parcels are delivered domestically through parcel terminals, we are also installing contactless terminals here to provide people with an additional safe way to pick up their parcels.”
Mr. Šablinskas concluded that Venipak plans to make active investments in the development of both parcel terminals and pickup point networks by the end of 2021, with the latter being expanded from the current 90 to 500 pickup points. The expansion measures will also be implemented in Estonia throughout the year.
“We plan to build a joint network of nearly 2,000 parcel terminals and pickup points across all Baltic States,” said Šablinskas. “This will make us one of the largest parcel pickup networks in the Baltics in the coming years. To achieve these goals, we will invest over 6 million euros.”
About the Venipak Group
Founded in 2004, the international parcel delivery company Venipak offers efficient parcel logistics solutions for businesses and private customers in the Baltic States, Poland, Germany, the USA, and China. Each year, the company improves its courier services, invests in technological solutions for e-commerce, and expands its parcel delivery network. Currently, nearly 600 parcel pickup points are available to customers in the Baltic States. With an annual turnover of up to 50 million euros, Venipak plans to build a network of nearly 2,000 post terminals and parcel pickup points in the coming years and become one of the largest parcel delivery networks in the Baltics.
Photo: © Venipak
