CO-OP is making a major change to its in-store services, and it’s good news for those who regularly shop online.
Shoppers who rely on Royal Mail to send and receive online orders will be able to use parcel lockers from this summer.
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Royal Mail and Co-op plan to have lockers at 100 of the convenience chain’s stores.
It means people will be able to drop off pre-labelled Royal Mail parcels and returns 24/7.
Collection will also be available at the lockers soon, but Co-op hasn’t yet confirmed a timeline.
The lockers provide label printing, meaning customers simply need to pay for postage online and print the label by scanning a QR code at the locker, or request a QR code if they are returning a purchase.
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Royal Mail’s prices start from £1.55 online for a small parcel that fits through the letterbox.
Co-op already partners with other parcel locker operators Amazon, InPost, Quadient and Yeep.
The move with Royal Mail takes the total number of parcel locker stores at Co-op to over 900.
Royal Mail first launched parcel lockers last spring.
In April this year, Sainsbury’s announced it’s started rolling out Royal Mail lockers in its stores.
Anna Malley, director of partnerships and acquisitions at Royal Mail, said: “We are focused on rolling out lockers in locations that are as convenient as possible for our customers, so Co-op’s model of providing a hub for community services at its stores is perfect.
“Our customers are sending more and more parcels, whether that’s returning online purchases or selling secondhand clothing on marketplaces, so it’s crucial that we give them a wide range of options to do so.”
How do Royal Mail lockers and prices compare?
InPost, which bills itself as Europe‘s leading locker provider, already operates services in and around Co-op shops.
Although Royal Mail remains one of the most cost-effective options for sending letters, with prices starting at just 87p, other couriers may offer cheaper rates when it comes to sending parcels.
For instance, sending small parcels up to 2kg with Royal Mail costs £3.35 for second-class delivery within the UK.
In comparison, InPost offers locker-to-locker delivery for the same parcel from as little as £1.99, or £2.89 if delivering directly to a home address.
Convenience often comes at a price, but by comparing firms, you could save more by going with the cheapest option.
Sainsbury’s and Co-op are not the first supermarkets to partner with a courier service to introduce lockers on their forecourts.
Aldi has already introduced InPost lockers at over 260 of its stores, following an initial trial at 22 locations across the country in December 2023.
This service has proven popular among online shoppers, particularly those using platforms like Vinted, as it offers a convenient way to collect items without waiting for a delivery driver.
Sellers can easily drop off their parcels in a locker by accessing it with a personalised QR code on their mobile phone.
The parcels are then collected by couriers and delivered to a local locker, which buyers can unlock using their own QR code.
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