GLS has expanded its international returns product ShopReturnService with another four countries while also opening 25 new GLS ParcelShops in Spanish petrol stations.
From now on, GLS customers in Great Britain, Slovakia, Spain and the Czech Republic will also be provided a flexible returns solution for national and cross-border returns within Europe. Previously, the ShopReturnService was available across borders in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Austria, the Netherlands, Hungary and Poland.
By the end of the current calendar year, France, Finland and Slovenia will also be connected, so that nearly full European coverage will be achieved, according to the Royal Mail Group subsidiary.
Through the service, private recipients can easily generate their own return labels, then submit free of charge their returns to any GLS ParcelShop of their choice, and thus easily and comfortably return items ordered abroad.
Furthermore, the company’s online portal, which was specifically launched for the parcel shop-based service this July, can be individually configured by GLS customers, as well as easily and comfortably linked to their own website using an interface.
Saadi Al-Soudani, Group International MD at GLS, explained: “Our returns solutions are ideal for the international e-commerce business. Customers who have tailored their online offering to different destinations can use the GLS returns portal and our ParcelShop network to offer their recipients efficient, cross-border returns shipment.
“Cross-border returns have not yet become the standard in online retailing, although a convenient and simple reverse logistics process can have a significant impact on online shoppers' purchasing decisions. Our international ShopReturnService offers a practical solution for both shop providers and shoppers, right on time for the Christmas season,” he added.
More parcel shops in Spain
Meanwhile, the company has announced that from now on, all Iberdoex petrol stations in Spain with a mini-market will offer a GLS ParcelShop. Consumers can receive online orders, return them or send out their own parcels.
Spain’s GLS ParcelShop network is thus growing to over 2,500 convenience points nationwide. Thanks to the cooperation with the extensive petrol station network Iberdoex, 25 more GLS ParcelShops will be added to the already existing ones in Extremadura, the western Spanish region bordering Portugal.
Private consignees and senders benefit not only from the denser network, but also from the fact that the Iberdoex stations are easily accessible and most of them are open 12 hours a day without interruption.
Luis Doncel, General Manager Iberia at GLS, pointed out: “ParcelShops play a central role, especially in e-commerce, by optimising delivery on the last mile and offering online shoppers added flexibility.”
