Lowe’s will install Quadient lockers in US stores
US DIY store chain Lowe’s will install Quadient pickup lockers at all its stores over the coming months to provide customers with new pickup options and same-day delivery.
To continue to improve the contactless delivery experience for customers who are increasingly shopping online, Lowe's announced plans to install pickup lockers at all U.S. stores by the end of March 2021.
The addition of Buy Online Pickup in Store self-service lockers at more than 1,700 stores leverages innovative technology to provide a safe, contactless and easier way for customers to collect same-day online orders at their convenience, according to the company.
As shopping preferences shifted during the pandemic, Lowe's accelerated the migration of Lowes.com to the cloud and rolled out curbside pickup to support sustained online growth. With the demand for contactless services here to stay, Lowe's latest investment will eliminate checkout time for customers and allow them direct access to pick up their orders and get in and out of the store faster during the busy holiday season.
The secure, entirely digital experience relies on electronic technology in the lockers that generates a scannable barcode when an order is ready for pickup. Lowe's plans to have the innovative lockers installed in most major metro markets by Thanksgiving.
"Our No. 1 priority is making sure we are keeping things safe for our associates and customers while continuing to provide additional options to make it even easier to shop with us," said Joe McFarland, Lowe's executive vice president of stores. "With more than 60 percent of online orders picked up in our stores, this gives our customers one more option and the added convenience and flexibility to control how and when they get that order. This is a significant step in our relentless efforts to create a fast and frictionless shopping experience for today's time-pressed customers."
Lowe's customers can now quickly collect their online orders from self-service lockers near the front of stores in locations including Charlotte, Philadelphia and the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. After a Lowe's associate stages an online order, the customer receives an automated email notification with a one-time user barcode. The customer then completes the pickup by scanning the barcode at the locker using their smartphone without having to wait in line, receive assistance from a store associate or contact a touchscreen or keypad.
Parcel Pending by Quadient, the nation's leading provider of package management solutions, is providing the retail locker solution for Lowe's, whose U.S. rollout will expand to Florida, Washington and Texas among other states in the coming weeks.
"It's an honor to be named Lowe's exclusive locker partner," stated Lori A. Torres, CEO and founder of Parcel Pending. "Our combined commitment to customer experience makes our Buy Online, Pickup in Locker (BOPIL®) solution a perfect fit for Lowe's. We're confident that their customers will enjoy being able to safely and securely retrieve their items at their convenience."
Lowe's Companies, Inc. is a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company serving approximately 18 million customers a week in the United States and Canada. With fiscal year 2019 sales of $72.1 billion, Lowe's and its related businesses operate or service more than 2,200 home improvement and hardware stores and employ approximately 300,000 associates.