Itella is testing an automated parcel terminal as the first company in Finland to offer new waysfor customers to pick up their parcels.
The three-month pilot project was yesterday launched in cooperation with the distance sellingmarket leader in Finland, Hobby Hall, and its customers in Itäkeskus, a district in East Helsinki.
With the new automated parcel terminal, customers can choose between different options toreceive their parcels. From now on they can pick up a parcel from the post office or from anautomated parcel terminal or even have it delivered to their home, Itella further reported.
“The automated parcel terminal offers the opportunity to pick up a parcel at a time that bestsuits the customer, even at night. The terminals are usually located along consumers’ daily routes,for example in shopping centres and at traffic junctions. It may take no more than 30 seconds topick up a parcel from a terminal,” explained Aku Happo, managing director of Itella’s express andparcel business.
Typically, an automatic parcel terminal has 50-100 parcel lockers, the size of which can bealtered. The customers receive an SMS informing them of a parcel that has arrived and with whichthe locker in the automated parcel terminal can be opened. The safety and usability of theterminal’s interface corresponds to that of an automatic teller machine.
As part of the pilot project, Itella will perform an extensive survey of the service needs ofconsumers and distance selling companies and create a terminal service concept that meets theactual Finnish market demands, the company said in a statement.
“Our customers have expressed their desire for new and flexible ways to receive parcels. Inother European countries, for example Germany, the automated parcel terminal has received positivefeedback,” Happo added.
