Hermes UK’s network of parcel shops has handled one million shipments in its first nine months andexpects to hit two million within the next four months after expanding from 500 to 1,500 locations.
The one million milestone for the myHermes Parcelshops followed strong December volumesduring which each ParcelShop handled 60 parcels per week on average, benefitting from the Christmasperiod. This amounted to a volume of more than 250,000 parcels during the last month of 2012 alone.
Rob Edson, CFO of Hermes UK, said: “myHermes ParcelShop is running well ahead ofexpectations and we have just achieved weekly parcel volumes of more than 100,000 for the firsttime. We are forecasting that our two millionth parcel should take less than 4 months from now, asretailers and consumers enjoy the benefits of this convenient and cost effective service.”
Nizam Patel from the BP Riverside Service Station in Leeds, where the millionth parcel washandled, said: “We have seen a substantial increase in parcel volumes over the last few months aspeople recognise the simplicity and affordability of myHermes ParcelShop. It is not only providinga valued and alternative delivery service to the local community, but also driving added footfallin store.”
The company launched 500 myHermes ParcelShops across the UK in June 2012 and has sincethen expanded the network to over 1,500 in local convenience stores such as Spa, Nisa, Premier andCo-op as well as local independents, located in major urban regions that have been selected basedon population density and online demand. By the end of the year, Hermes UK plans to have furtherexpanded its ParcelShop network to a total of 3,000 locations alongside the introduction ofoutbound services.
As the first phase of its service expansion, the company provides a drop off service forpeople who want to return their online purchases. This allows e-retailers to provide theircustomers with a convenient and simple returns solution as an alternative to courier collections.
According to company information, the myHermes ParcelShops are especially popular with smallbusinesses, niche online retailers, eBay powersellers as well as people who want to avoid standingin a queue at the Post Office. Compared to Post Offices, MyHermes ParcelShops feature extendedopening hours, typically from 8 in the morning until 8 in the evening. The services offered includeparcel delivery within 2 days, which is comparable to Royal Mail’s 2nd class service, though at amore competitive price for shipments above 1kg, and with free tracking service, Hermes pointed out.
