A parcel terminal is an automated terminal for dispensing goods ordered from an online store. Through parcel terminals installed in your nearest supermarket or shopping center, you can receive your order yourself at any convenient time - without queuing or waiting for a courier.
1. When placing an order in the online store, select delivery to a PickPoint parcel locker;
2.On the interactive map, find a parcel terminal convenient for you where you want to pick up your order;
3. When the order is delivered to the parcel locker, you will receive a notification on your phone with a code to open the box;
Receiving an order at a parcel terminal takes less than 1 minute:
For those who like to shop in online stores and from catalogs, for those who value their time. The PickPoint delivery service offers its network of parcel terminals and pick-up points throughout Russia. Pick up your orders at a time and place convenient for you, without waiting for the courier or standing in lines at post offices.
The process of receiving orders via parcel terminal is very simple and convenient. After ordering a product in an online store or from a catalog, select delivery to a parcel locker or PickPoint pick-up point:
You can combine daily shopping for food, clothing and receiving orders due to the good location of parcel terminals in shopping centers and near grocery chains.
If you want to place an order in an online store with delivery through the PickPoint network, and the online store is not in the list of PickPoint partners, you can request to connect to PickPoint services.
Check delivery costs through PickPoint in online stores.
If the purchased product does not suit you in terms of quality or size, you can quickly and conveniently return it through any of the PickPoint parcel terminals.
Delivery times for orders are indicated in working days, excluding the day of receipt of shipments from the online store and until the moment your order is placed at the parcel locker/order pick-up point.
The PickPoint application is the first mobile application of its kind in Russia, which allows you to track the delivery status of orders from online stores to PickPoint parcel terminals and pick-up points.
The mobile application is designed specifically for users of the PickPoint delivery service and is available for free download on Google.Play And AppStore .
You no longer need to call support or wait for a response to your e-mail request; you can independently see the entire delivery history of your order at any time and take advantage of additional services.
Register the application with your phone number and you can access it at any time. s:
Information on all orders placed to the specified phone number;
A detailed description of the location of the PickPoint parcel terminal (or order pick-up point), as well as its operating schedule, payment options, photographs of locations.
Thanks to the additional features of the PickPoint application, you can:
Extend the shelf life of an order at a parcel locker;
Use the "Forwarding" service. The ability to independently select another point for delivery of your order;
Pay for the order with a bank card;
Connect push notifications about changes in delivery statuses;
Find the pick-up point closest to you using smart filters;
Map the route to the selected parcel terminal or order pick-up point*;
Set up a personal profile in the "My Orders" section.
And
Find the desired online store using product category filters and search keywords;
Find information about the cost, delivery time and storage period of the order at the parcel locker;
Receive information about the possibility of returning unsuitable goods through parcel terminals and PickPoint delivery points
PickPoint delivery is always nearby, and now also on your mobile or tablet!
* - provided that the GoogleMaps application is installed on your smartphone or tablet.
Yulia Denisova
How is payment and delivery of goods via parcel terminals carried out?
- Your buyer chooses to have the goods delivered to a parcel locker.
- Pays for the order or chooses to postpay the order.
- When the order is delivered to the parcel locker, the buyer receives an SMS with an order receipt code.
- The buyer comes to the selected terminal at a convenient time, enters the code, deposits money (for postpayment) and picks up his goods from the locker. Change is sent to your mobile phone, personal account (QIWI) or e-wallet.
Is it profitable for online store owners to include such automated systems in their supply chain?
1. What tasks do parcel terminals help solve in an online store’s delivery system?
Our experts agreed that this is very convenient, first of all, for the buyer.
Kuzma Feskov:“They save the buyer’s time: there is no need to wait all day for the courier, or be afraid of missing him. You can choose a parcel terminal near your convenient location. You know in advance the terminal’s opening hours and are sure that you will pick up your order when it’s convenient for you.”
But do parcel terminals solve business problems?
Dmitry Nazarov:“The main thing is the store’s customer service: the more convenient, accessible and varied the store offers delivery methods, the higher the likelihood that the client will be satisfied with the purchase and return to the store for the next one.”
Stepan Cheltsov:“The parcel locker is like an automated order pick-up point for us. The human factor is excluded here, there is no rudeness of the operator, but there is automation of receiving and issuing orders. The parcel locker service also comes with SMS notifications, so we no longer need to call each client to remind them about their order.”
Evgeniy Danilik believes that the lack of a human factor in the “online store - buyer” chain, on the contrary, does not speak in favor of parcel terminals: “Parcel terminals do not solve the most important problem in the service sector - building personal communications with customers. Today's metropolis resident spends 8-12 hours a day “communicating” with a computer and gadgets, and over time, trading terminals and parcel terminals are no longer perceived as an advantage of one service over another.
Human communication and face-to-face conversation are again at a premium. Personal communication with clients and sincere attention to them is the key to the success of a business in the service sector.”
Sergey Puzanov noted an important nuance for our country. In his opinion, parcel terminals are often additional pick-up points in those cities where, apart from Russian post, there is nothing affordable.
2. What problems do parcel lockers solve poorly or not at all?
It would seem that every online store should have delivery to parcel lockers. But is this delivery system suitable for everyone?
Dmitry Nazarov:“The parcel lockers are especially designed for the delivery of small, oversized goods. Therefore, for example, we do not deliver floor-standing speakers through parcel lockers. The second is the non-repurchase of goods in case of cash on delivery. In our practice, we do not encounter this problem, since we work with parcel terminals on a prepaid order.”
I agree with Dmitry Stepan Cheltsov:“For us, only one problem has not yet been solved - oversized shipments. If the parcel is more than 60 cm according to one of the measurements, we cannot send it. And the shelf life for some orders is too short. Sometimes people just don’t have time to get them. But this is rare."
Kuzma Feskov:“Despite the large number of cities on the map, there are still much fewer parcel terminals than we would like. There are technical failures in the operation of parcel terminals.”
Sergey Puzanov:“We have clothes, parcel machines do not solve the problem of fitting. Also, many people want to see the product before paying for it.”
Evgeniy Shchepelin touched upon an important point in the operation of parcel terminals: “If you do not have a reserve in the parcel terminal (the cell is not assigned to you), most likely during the peak of sales all parcel terminals will be overcrowded. Expansion of parcel terminals is not such a fast process. If 200 customers want to pick up their orders at the Kursk station at once, there is a chance that they will pick them up for a month.”
Pros and cons of parcel terminals (for online stores)
Expansion of customer service
+ Elimination of human factor
+ Reducing the load on the call center
+ Expansion of delivery zones
+ Delivery automation
Limited cell capacity
- Non-repurchase of goods (in case of cash on delivery)
- Short shelf life of the order (usually 3 days)
- Undeveloped network of parcel terminals
- The product cannot be seen before purchasing
- Technical glitches
- There is no opportunity to build personal communications with clients
3. How often do your customers choose this method of receiving orders?
In online stores, where delivery to parcel lockers is an alternative service, traditional delivery methods (couriers, mail) are more popular.
Dmitry Nazarov:“As a percentage of delivery by region, on average, parcel lockers account for about 9%. In Moscow and St. Petersburg we have our own courier service, and we also have a free delivery service from 8,000 rubles. in all regions, including Moscow and St. Petersburg. These two services of ours indirectly affect the % of delivery through parcel lockers.”
Sergey Puzanov:“About 10%.”
Evgeny Shchepelin:“Rarely, for some clients less than 1% of volume.”
However, not all experts have such a ratio of delivery through parcel machines to other services. This is due to the fact that they offer a choice of only delivery to parcel terminals and by mail, and they try to direct customers to use parcel terminals.
Stepan Cheltsov:“Now orders for parcel terminals and Russian Post are approximately equally divided, and, if possible, we dissuade people from mail and ask them to receive it through a parcel terminal.”
Kuzma Feskov:“Our customers almost always order through parcel terminals, because we only work with them and the post office.”
4. Can parcel terminals become an alternative to mail?
The opinions of our experts are divided: some believe that this is impossible in the current conditions, others are confident that parcel terminals have already replaced Russian Post.
Evgeniy Shchepelin categorical: “Definitely not.”
Dmitry Nazarov believes that “these are very ambitious plans, given that Russian Post has over 40 thousand branches throughout the country. But it’s possible to compete for a client now, since the quality of work of the Russian Post is a big headache for many online stores. We solve this problem by offering the client alternative delivery methods. For example, a client lives in the city of Velsk, where delivery is possible only by Russian Post - for 140 rubles and by courier service for 1000 rubles conditionally. Obviously, with a product costing 500 rubles, delivery by courier service is not at all interesting. In this case, our client can choose delivery to the nearest large city, where he often visits on business or can make a special trip to pick up the order. In this case, as an alternative option for receiving the order, we, among other things, offer receiving the goods at the Logibox or PickPoint parcel terminal. Such delivery will cost the client about 300 rubles. Among other things, our client sees the user rating of all services. For example, Russian Post has **, and parcel terminals have ***** out of 5. Thus, the client is less worried that he will not receive his order at all or on time.”
Stepan Cheltsov:“The post office performs many different functions, such as receiving mail. The parcel machine will never be able to handle this issue, I’m afraid. Therefore, it will not become an alternative, but they have successfully created their niche.”
Evgeniy Danilik:“Post machines will not be able to completely replace mail. If a person strives to simplify his life in everyday matters, then what could be easier than receiving an order directly at home/office/dacha?”
Sergey Puzanov:“Only if there are parcel terminals in every department. But so far the post office, as far as I know, has no such plans.”
Kuzma Feskov:“They have already become a real alternative. And more successful, in my opinion.”
5. Can parcel terminals replace couriers and in what ways?
Not all experts agreed on this issue either. The prevailing opinion is that parcel terminals can only expand delivery methods, but will not completely replace couriers.
Dmitry Nazarov:“Participation machines are still an alternative method, not a panacea. There will still be customers who will find it more convenient to receive their order by courier at home or at work. First of all, this is true for clothing/footwear stores, where you can order three sizes, wait for the courier, try them on, buy one, and return two.”
Sergey Puzanov:“No, they can only add to it.”
Evgeny Shchepelin:“The parcel terminal is convenient if it is within walking distance from your home or office, and its operating hours are not important (i.e. it is not tied to the work of shopping centers).”
Evgeniy Danilik:“Of course, parcel terminals have already occupied some part of the market, taking away this share from courier services. The parcel locker replaces, rather, not the courier service, but the “pickup” service. Let's think logically: a person orders courier delivery in order to save his time as much as possible and not have to go anywhere to pick up the order. You still need to get to the parcel terminal, even if it is on the next street, you will have to spend some time. Therefore, to the question “can parcel terminals replace couriers?” - I answer that they cannot.”
The arguments in favor of parcel terminals are as follows.
Stepan Cheltsov:“They can and are already doing this. The main advantage of a parcel terminal is that it stands still and waits. But the courier may arrive, or may not arrive, he may be robbed, he may turn out to be improvident.”
Kuzma Feskov:“They can and will replace them. Currently, courier services work haphazardly: they require a waiting interval of at least 4 hours, and are often late or do not arrive. Parcel machines send you an SMS when the order has arrived, and you don’t need to be nervous. You always know that your order can already be received.”
6. What goods can be delivered using parcel machines?
All experts confirmed that the main limitation of parcel terminals is the dimensions of the terminal cells. What is important to consider here?
Dmitry Nazarov:“If the goods are fragile, for example, then this is decided by the sender at the time of packing the goods in the warehouse.”
Stepan Cheltsov:“Almost any goods are delivered, the only restrictions are on dimensions and weight. There are restrictions on content, but in our niche there are no restrictions.”
Kuzma Feskov:“It all depends on the company. QIWI Post, for example, has all its parcel terminals on the street. That in winter, and they are cold here, it introduces a lot of restrictions on goods. PickPoint has parcel terminals on premises, the range of goods is wide.”
Evgeny Shchepelin:“Post terminals are great for the Fashion segment. Also, in my opinion, parcel terminals are perfect for goods for adults, when the parcel is received anonymously without the participation of a courier.”
What goods are suitable for delivery using parcel machines?
- Everything except bulky goods (maximum order size 58x33x35 cm - Logibox, 64x38x41 cm - QIWI Post, 60x36x36 cm - PickPoint).
- Everything except heavy goods (more than 15 kg, except PickPoint - 10 kg).
- Particular attention to fragile, breakable goods.
- Intimate goods, products for adults.
Dmitry Nazarov:“Volumetric weight of the parcel + services of logistics operators with whom the parcel terminal services work.”
Stepan Cheltsov:“The price includes the tariff for sending each kilogram of shipment, a commission for receiving and transferring payment and size restrictions. We arrange seasonal discounts and take on part of the delivery costs ourselves, thus stimulating the choice of parcel lockers as a method of delivering orders.”
Evgeny Shchepelin:“The costs of renting space, equipment and the highway (mostly parcel terminals are used by transport companies to collect volumes from large players).”
8. Is it profitable for small businesses to use this delivery format?
Almost all experts answered this question in the affirmative.
Dmitry Nazarov:“From a cost point of view, this is an internal business issue: Russian Post is cheaper, but the desire of stores and customers to use its services is reduced due, among other things, to the appearance of parcel terminals. If we take into account the service of the online store - and this is one of the key aspects why the client returns to the store, then, of course, it is profitable.”
Stepan Cheltsov:“This greatly facilitates communication with the client and provides high-quality standardized service. In our projects, we make sure to connect parcel terminals because we consider them commercially effective.”
Kuzma Feskov:“It’s very profitable for us!”
Sergey Puzanov:“Yes, why not? It’s profitable to use all types of delivery.”
Evgeny Shchepelin:“It’s profitable, but this segment is not developed yet. The network of parcel terminals should be more developed, then customers will use this service more often.
From a business point of view, parcel terminals (as well as goods delivery points) are currently approximately 50% cheaper than courier delivery. This is a cost effective delivery method.
Also, parcel terminals can be used to accept returns from the client, this is the next step in the development of the service. More complex, but no less interesting for business.”
9. Is the delivery system to parcel lockers developed in our country? Is there competition in the operator market for this service?
Oddly enough, opinions differ on this issue, perhaps this is due to different experiences in using parcel terminals in their business.
The opinion “the system is underdeveloped, there is no competition”
Dmitry Nazarov:“Although the number of operators and, as a result, parcel terminals is growing, they no longer compete with each other, but with order issuing offices and courier delivery. Also, since the service is young, a certain mistrust characteristic of Russians limits the pace of its development.”
Stepan Cheltsov:“There are several operators in this market, and they consider each other competitors. In my opinion, there is no competition. The choice of parcel terminal on the website does not happen because some people like the orange parcel terminal, but others like the green one. People choose a pickup point that is convenient for them, and the fact that it is also technologically advanced, modern, without queues and with good service adds value to it, but does not in any way make it better than another pickup point among parcel terminals.”
Evgeny Shchepelin:“There is actually no competition. The system is not developed."
Opinion: “The system is developed, but the competition is not strong”
Kuzma Feskov:“The system is very developed. And the good news is that she is growing every day. There is already competition in the market, but not big enough.”
Sergey Puzanov:“PickPoint is developing very actively, there are already nearly 500 parcel terminals. They did QIWI Post, but at first only in Moscow - they like couriers more here, this is their mistake. I think PickPoint will be a monopolist if it continues to work as well and efficiently.”
So, in the struggle “machines against people”... people win - both as buyers, and as owners of online stores, and as operators of parcel terminals. Parcel machines are basically one of the alternative delivery methods. Until such terminals appear in every city, or better yet, within walking distance of work or home, they are unlikely to replace other delivery channels. And not everyone is ready to trust an aluminum cell with the purchase of their dreams! So, as usual, we will go to the Christmas tree market to buy Christmas trees for the New Year.
"A strange service for sex shop buyers." This is how many in Russian e-commerce imagined delivery to parcel machines five years ago.
Parcel delivery appeared in Russia at the end of 2010, when two networks began to roll out simultaneously - PickPoint and Logibox. In 2014-2015, “boxes” experienced a short boom. Operators Pulse Express and InPost appeared on the market. And then in 2016, two of the four key players collapsed at once - Logibox and InPost. There are only two companies left in the niche (PickPoint and Pulse Express) plus a local St. Petersburg delivery company, Teleport. And although users are interested in delivery to parcel terminals, and in Europe postamate networks have already covered a huge territory, in Russia this niche is still slowing down in development.
We figured out why this is so in a special projectOborot.ru.
Who's who in the market?PickPoint, aka Network of Automated Pickup Points LLC (this legal entity is listed on the service website) is 100% Pickpoint Delivery System Ltd., registered in Cyprus. The company launched its first parcel locker in December 2010 in Moscow. Now it owns a network of 940 parcel terminals in 280 cities (according to the company itself), and also delivers to regular pickup points. Its services are used by 5.5 thousand online stores. The parcel terminals are installed in the stores of the X5 Retail chains (Karusel, Pyaterochka, Perekrestok), Seventh Continent, NASH, Magnit, and Victoria. From November 2015 to November 2016, 5 million orders were processed through PickPoint parcel terminals. The company plans to double the number of its terminals by the end of 2017. Pulse Express entered the market in the fall of 2016. Affiliated with the ULS Global group of companies (according to RIA, in it). The Unified State Register of Legal Entities lists ULS EXPRESS EUROPE JSC, Switzerland, as the founder. In December 2016, he announced the start of a partnership with the Magnit chain. By February 2017, it was planned to install 200 parcel terminals in Magnit’s offline locations, but apparently, difficulties arose with their delivery to the regions. In March, the company announced that SDEK would deliver parcel terminals across Russia. Pulse Express promised to install 1,500 terminals annually in order to create a network of 6 thousand parcel terminals by 2020. However, now on the company’s website you can find data on the location of only about 80 parcel terminals (as of July 15, 2017). Perhaps the hitch in the implementation of plans is due to the fact that this spring the “parent” company ULS Global was involved in a smuggling case investigated by the FSB. TelePort– a local St. Petersburg network of 150 parcel terminals located in the entrances of multi-storey buildings. On the market since the end of 2016. Since December 2016, it has been cooperating with DPD (providing delivery of DPD parcels to terminals as a “last mile” option). about plans to increase the network to 800 parcel terminals in Moscow and St. Petersburg in 2017. |
Landscape element
The appearance of parcel terminals in Russia was only a matter of time, because it is part of a global trend. In developed countries, terminals have already become a familiar part of the urban landscape. In the United States, there are several parcel locker networks owned by large companies. UPS has over 8,000 parcel terminals throughout the United States, most of them in 7-Eleven 24-hour supermarkets. There are 1,800 American Amazon terminals in 7-Eleven and Spar stores and gas stations.
According to DHL, 90% of German residents are within a 10-minute walk of a terminal at any given time. DHL itself in Germany alone already had about 2,750 parcel terminals in 2016.
DHL terminal in Karlsruhe
The Polish Integer Pl (owned the InPost network that closed last year in Russia) now services about 5,000 thousand parcel terminals in Poland, Great Britain, Estonia, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Spain and Cyprus, as well as outside Europe: in Australia, Chile, Saudi Arabia Arabia. This company has received investments to install 16,000 terminals in Europe and promises that by the end of 2018 its “boxes” will be installed in European cities every 300 m.
The question arises: why are there now two and a half players in this niche in Russia?
The departure of several companies at once was associated both with the specifics of the domestic market and with the peculiarities of the parcel delivery niche itself. In Russia, they overlapped each other, and this combination made entry into the market risky and the development of parcel lockers slow.
The further into the forest, the more expensive the parcel terminals
Delivery costs fall as turnover increases. In logistics, the number of online orders per person per year becomes critical for online stores. If we compare Russia with Germany, then these are two orders a year versus thirty,” explains ex-Head B2C DPD Russia Evgeniy Danilik.
Russia is a huge distance. The delivery and installation of the parcel locker unit itself, with its dimensions and weight, will cost 4 times more for Komsomolsk-on-Amur than for Moscow. This also slows down the development of the network.
"The cost of delivery to a parcel locker greatly depends on three things. Congestion - how many cells in your block are loaded at the moment, turnover - how quickly a person picks up his order from the locker - and additional services that the parcel terminal offers. Something that is not developed at all in our country - this is return logistics. And in Germany and France, this topic rules. In Germany, about 70% of orders are returned to the seller. It is convenient to return them: every street has either its own parcel terminal or a pickup point,” says Evgeniy Danilik.
These features made the already expensive entrance ticket to this business even more expensive. After all, the parcel terminal network is developing approximately according to the same model as the GSM operator. First, you need to build a network of towers/postamates and invest a lot of money in infrastructure. Then this infrastructure must be quickly loaded. That is, at one moment take a large flow of deliveries from somewhere.
“The problem, first of all, is that this is a large investment project,” confirms Head of the Yandex. Delivery service Dmitry Mamonov. “It requires investment, and investors now, looking at the economic situation in the country, are cautious about investing in such stories.”
How much does a parcel locker cost?
The costs of a parcel locker network are, first of all, the cost of the blocks themselves: their purchase, delivery to the site, installation. In addition to one-time expenses, permanent ones are added: rent and maintenance costs.
Dmitry Mamonov, Yandex.Delivery:
“One parcel locker (block of cells) costs around 600 thousand rubles. If it is placed indoors, for example, in a shopping center, then a little less: strong “vandal-proof” materials are not needed there. But you still need a card reader, a computer, a display, a fiscal a recorder. If it is a street parcel terminal, then it also requires a vandal-proof system with video surveillance, with stronger metal, so that it is difficult to open it. Add the rent to the cost of the parcel terminal itself - there are no free places anywhere in Russia. They pay either per square meter or. , by agreement with the lessors, depending on the number of parcels"
Nadezhda Romanova,CEOPickPoint:
“There are parcel terminals of different configurations. Depending on the set of options, the price ranges from 450 thousand to 1 million rubles.
The cost of delivery, installation and connection of the parcel locker is related to the region of location. For the Central Federal District, the average price is 40 thousand rubles, and, for example, for Komsomolsk-on-Amur - 160 thousand rubles. Monthly expenses include rent, internet access, collection, cleaning, security and maintenance. On average, this costs 40 thousand rubles, provided that 25% is the rental rate."
In such conditions, the load on the parcel terminal becomes critical - how many orders pass through each cell per week. And it depends, among other things, on how quickly customers of online stores pick up their orders and whether the “box” is within walking distance for the buyer.
Encouraging the client to quickly pick up an order from a cell is a common problem for everyone involved in parcel delivery. Some (for example, Amazon) try to motivate consumers with money. If the buyer picks up the order on the first day, delivery to the post office remains free for him, and then the longer the parcel has been in the locker, the higher the delivery cost.
However, in Russia there is no need to incentivize the buyer with the ruble, delivery providers believe. The domestic consumer loves fast delivery and does not “marinate” the purchase at the post office for more than two days. According to PickPoint, the average shelf life of an order at a parcel locker is 1.3 days. In the high season before the New Year holidays, it is generally less than a day, and in the summer during the holiday period it increases to 1.7 days during the holiday period. At Pulse Express, an order stays in a cell for an average of 1.6-1.8 days.
Location decides
The key success factor for parcel terminals is their location. PickPoint has an internal criterion: if during the year the parcel terminal at its point does not reach fifty percent capacity, it is moved to another location. Pulse Express has a different criterion: about 600 items per month must pass through a standard parcel locker.
“In Europe, parcel terminals can be placed on the streets, where they are not destroyed so often. But in Russia you cannot place parcel terminals directly on the street,” explains Evgeniy Danilik. According to him, unlike European countries, domestic owners of local shops are reluctant to install a parcel locker and issue third-party orders, even taking into account the fact that this will increase the flow of visitors: “Shop owners want money for rent here and now , no one thinks in long-term terms."
Parcel operators can only partner with a network of supermarkets, gas stations or third-party pickup points. However, in the USA and Europe, delivery providers often follow the same path.
Amazon parcel terminal at 7-Eleven store, USA
All three players have already entered into agreements with retail chains. PickPoint installs its parcel terminals in X5 Retail supermarkets (Karusel, Pyaterochka, Perekrestok), Seventh Continent, NASH, Magnit, and Victoria. In December 2016, Pulse Express began installing its parcel terminals in “convenience stores” of the largest Russian retailer. Magnet". And just last week, Teleport announced that it will place parcel terminals in Pyaterochka stores in St. Petersburg.
Alexey Zhukov, CEO of PulseExpress:
“The installation of parcel terminals in shopping centers, train stations and other crowded places was not always justified economically: a parcel terminal is not a means of impulse purchase.
Analyzing Russian and foreign experience, we came to the conclusion that the parcel locker should be located in a warm room with the widest possible time range of access. Moreover, the parcel terminal should ideally be no more than 500 meters away from the potential consumer. Magnit convenience stores meet all these criteria.
According to Zhukov, placing parcel terminals at gas stations can also have a good economic effect. The CEO of Pulse Express is confident that over time in Russia, parcel terminals at gas stations will become as common as in Europe.
Nadezhda Romanova,PickPoint:
" The key rule for the operation of parcel terminals is walking distance for the recipient. The main installation locations for PickPoint parcel terminals are supermarkets of the retail chains X5 Retail (Karusel, Pyaterochka, Perekrestok), Seventh Continent, NASH, Magnit, Victoria and others. Since the number of parcel terminals already exceeds the number of high-quality locations, we are conducting test projects to locate parcel terminals in new types of locations: in branches of federal banks, KROST housing complexes, at Shell gas stations and in business centers."
On June 28, the company began testing the placement of terminals on suburban railway platforms in the Moscow region. The first parcel terminal was installed at Dolgoprudnaya station. By the end of the year, PickPoint terminals should appear on another 100 suburban platforms in Moscow Region.
Places for installing the terminal in PickPoint are chosen with the expectation that the buyer should not spend more than 15 minutes to receive an order, taking into account the road to the point that deviates from the usual route. Another important factor is the convenient opening hours of the pick-up point. The company's own research shows that a third of recipients come to pick up their orders from 18.00 to 00.00, which means that the point must be open until midnight. “If these basic conditions are not met, the recipient will take a very long time to pick up his order,” notes Nadezhda Romanova.
PickPoint parcel terminal at the Victoria supermarket
Two-way logistics
Delivery cost is a decisive success factor for a logistics company. Anyone who cannot offer a competitive price is out of the game. And here in the Russian market lies a big pitfall for parcel delivery. This is the underdevelopment of return logistics and additional services.
In Europe, delivery to a parcel locker is several times cheaper than courier delivery and often cheaper than to a pick-up point. This happens due to the fact that the courier, who places the parcels in the “box”, carries several orders in both directions at once. Returns to the online store are also accepted through parcel machines. The courier can also pick up deliveries from local retailers at the parcel locker and take them to the sorting center. All these services are still not developed in Russia.
In order to organize the “incoming” flow of orders from local retailers, parcel locker companies, as a rule, cooperate with marketplaces. So, for example, they planned to do Yandex.Market in partnership with InPost. But these plans ended with InPost leaving the market.
Andrey Chechin, ex–
general directorInPost:
"Unlike courier delivery, where one “stop”, i.e. one destination is, as a rule, one parcel, the courier must deliver several orders at once to the post office. The cost of his arrival remains the same. If you bring 5 parcels, then your logistics cost of the “last mile” is immediately divided by 5. And if at the same time you picked up 2-3 parcels from the parcel terminal from local stores selling on Yandex.Market and using your network as an entry point, then The logistics cost is already 10% or even 5% of the cost of a courier’s arrival to a B2C client.”
This system is currently used by the Polish InPost (Integer Pl) in partnership with the largest marketplace in the country – Allegro.pl. Yandex.Market, in partnership with the Russian InPost, also planned to launch such a service at the beginning of 2017. But these plans ended with the departure of the delivery company from the domestic market.
Nadezhda Romanova noted that the difference in the price of the last mile is already noticeable in Moscow - but it will inevitably be leveled out in the regions:
“The cost of delivery consists of the first mile, sorting, main delivery, last mile and, in fact, delivery. Moreover, the first 4 positions are absolutely identical for courier delivery, delivery points and parcel terminals. The costs for the last stage are slightly higher for courier delivery, for pick-up points - slightly lower, and parcel terminals are now in the middle of the cost gap. Therefore, for Moscow, the difference in price for different types of delivery can be quite noticeable, and for regions where most of the costs fall on the highway, this difference is usually 3%."
"Silver bullet" – or a narrow niche?
Interest in parcel lockers is growing, but experts still differ greatly in their forecasts as to whether a parcel locker network like that in Germany and the USA will appear in Russia, and whether online retailers should quickly connect this type of delivery. Parcel delivery is necessary and not suitable for all stores (read more about this in the second part of the article). In addition to those who sell large-sized goods, large multi-channel networks with their own network of showrooms and pickup points doubt the usefulness of parcel terminals.
“A parcel locker is not a panacea, it will not cover 100% of orders in online stores. But 80% of all e-commerce can easily be delivered to parcel lockers – both in size and in terms of storage and temperature requirements,” I am sure Evgeniy Danilik. His optimism is based on DPD's experience in European countries. There, parcel locker networks developed in partnership with local stores. For example, in France, owners of groceries and grocery stores install parcel terminals near their homes, receiving not a rent payment, but a commission from issued orders - and an additional flow of visitors. But in Russia they are not yet willing to do this - the owners of offline stores want money for rent “here and now.”
Parcel terminals begin to work and bring profit to logisticians only with very dense coverage and high availability - both in price and in terms of services. We need payment upon receipt, the ability to receive or return goods around the clock,” concludes Danilik.
Analysts Data Insight They believe that the popularity of both payment systems and parcel machines almost does not depend on external factors. Their audience is growing along with the Internet audience.
“The RuNet audience grew in 2007-2012. Count 4-5 years from here - and they will begin to use payments, and then parcel machines,” says Fedor Virin, co-founder of Data Insight. According to him, parcel terminals are just a variant of a pick-up point. They have their own audience, they are more interesting to young people, while the “classic” pick-up point is for older people.
“But from the point of view of retailers, we are just now seeing a surge of interest in PVZ and parcel terminals. This is a response to the already existing demand from consumers. Our research has shown that online stores have come to their senses and are trying to jump on this train,” comments Virin.
This is confirmed by Yandex.Delivery data: in 2016, the share of deliveries to parcel lockers increased dramatically: from 7-8% to 18% of all shipments.
Dmitry Mamonov is confident that in the coming years the industry will see an increase in the share of orders via parcel terminals, if only because online stores are actively connecting this delivery method, and it is convenient for the buyer.
“The “boxes” have a unique advantage: quick receipt of the parcel. You enter the phone number and password - and the box opens,” comments Mamonov. In his opinion, user interest will grow. If market players begin to invest in expanding the network of parcel terminals, they will eventually eat up a significant share from pickup points and courier delivery. The expert also cites the Polish marketplace Allegro.pl as an example. Already about 20% of orders from it are sent to InPost parcel terminals.
Mamonov does not rule out a similar model in the future for Yandex.Market. PickPoint services are already directly available in Ya.Delivery, and Yandex is actively negotiating with two other players.
Alexey Fedorov, President of the Association of Internet Trade Companies AKIT, is confident that parcel terminals will not be in demand in Russia.
“To receive goods from a parcel terminal, a person must first make a payment. After that, he is left with a product of unknown quality. While our online stores provide amazing service - postpayment, nothing will change in Russia, and parcel terminals will not become widespread. That is why our work in The company InPost stopped operating in Russia,” Fedorov said.
Net InPost initially developed under the Qiwi Post brand, one of the shareholders was the Qiwi group. In the fall of 2015, the group's stake was bought by a large Polish delivery company, Integer Pl, bringing its share to 90%. In 2016, the operator left the Russian market.
We spoke with the former directorInPost in Russia by Andrey Chechin. He agreed to reveal to the site the true reasons for the company's departure from the market, as well as talk about all the pitfalls in this business. We publish his comments with minimal editing.
Andrey Chechin: “Post boxes have too low margins”
Buyers will always choose home delivery, for a thousand reasons. There are products, for example, large household appliances and furniture, for which there is simply no other way.
Parcel machines occupy their niche in the logistics system inside pickup. Their main advantage is that they provide the consumer with convenience of place and time. Ideally, the parcel terminal can operate around the clock, and the consumer can receive his order in the evening after working hours. This takes a minimum of time: 20-30 seconds.
Postmate niche limited by the types of goods and those factors that force the buyer to choose between courier delivery and pickup.
For an online store delivery methods are an offline distribution channel. The classic FMCG market has the concept of a percentage of presence in the distribution channel, while an online store has the opportunity to offer the buyer the maximum possible delivery methods.
This is important from two points of view. First: for an online seller, delivery methods can be a sales multiplier in terms of geographic coverage. Even within the city, the choice of delivery methods affects the sales of an online store.
Secondly, the quality of delivery can be an amplifier or a killer of conversion to repeat purchases.
Parcel terminalswork as a distribution channel, which helps IMs increase their sales and at the same time has a very low percentage of non-repurchases - significantly less than that of courier delivery and even pick-up points.
Parcel terminals are not a magic wand, which can solve all the problems of an online seller. But a wide network of parcel terminals, providing competitive delivery times and convenient location and time, can play a very important role in quickly increasing the number of repeat purchases. Parcel machines can play the role of the first and second stages of promoting mass demand.
There has been a revolution in logistics over the last 5-7 years. Traditionally, this area of business required a lot of expertise and access to specialized technology. There was a high barrier to entry. Over the past 5-7 years, the technologies on which all the world's giants worked have fallen in price. The number of people who understand how it all works has grown greatly due to the explosive growth of last mile logistics (by the way, associated with the boom in online sales). A huge number of new companies have rushed into this niche. The service margin has dropped sharply. Logistics has been turning into commodities for the last 3 years. There is no opportunity to make a large markup, and investments have turned from long-term to short-term.
But creating a post office network is a long-term investment, almost like creating a GSM operator. You must first install towers, provide coverage, and then fill the subscriber base. Profitability is achieved only on a very large volume.
There are two business models, through which postamate networks operate. The first is in which the company owns each parcel terminal directly, the second is in which the chain franchises the parcel terminals. The model that InPost switched to at one time is direct ownership. In this case, the owner himself rents the space, organizes maintenance and collection.
With a franchise model you recover your costs quite quickly. Having purchased a parcel locker and transferred it to the franchiser, you can immediately invest this money in the purchase of further parcel lockers. But at the same time, you have to pay a fairly high commission for issuing, and this makes it impossible to reduce the price of your services for online stores and increase volumes.
With a direct model at the initial stage, the costs of purchasing and installing parcel lockers are very high, but then, as volumes grow, the company at some point reaches a break-even point, and can reduce prices, because its fixed costs are already recouped.
This is a very low-margin segment. So far, no one in it has reached profitability. The franchise model, I think, is generally hopeless. With the direct model, achieving profitability is possible if the company manages to occupy 2% or more of the entire delivery logistics market. If 250 million orders from online stores are delivered per year (including crossborder), you must deliver 5 million parcels to your parcel terminals.
International experience that I have seen (Amazon,DHL,FedEx), and experienceInPost on the Polish market indicates the following. Parcel machines can work as an additional delivery method by joining some profitable business project. They can play an important role in promoting the main business project, because they allow you to expand distribution and increase the frequency of purchases.
But as an independent business, parcel delivery is too unprofitable and is sensitive to delivery volumes. Using the network involves ongoing costs that you must cover. As a result, if at some point you start to slow down in recruiting new clients, you end up at a loss. If your business model also “does not fit” at the level of order economics, then, trying to attract new customers, you sell delivery at a rate lower than its cost.
Therefore, it is better to join some business project, acting as the first stage of a spaceship - to overcome the force of gravity.
So we are in due time joined YandexMarket. But we did not have time to reach profitability, and the Integer Pl group , owner of InPost, ran out of money for international expansion, and closed its business in 15 countries at once.
Russia was the number 2 market in the world, we grew faster than many others. But since Russia was on the sanctions list, and InPost was developed with funds from American investment funds, they had no desire to continue investing money here. Taking into account what we did together with Ya.Market, preparing to deploy a parcel locker network as an offline distribution for online, this was not a completely logical decision, it seems to me.
I have great respect for my colleagues from PickPoint, but I don’t yet see how they will reduce the economics of ordering without changing the business model. They now have an average price at which they sell a service that is below cost.
The problem is also that the online store does not look at the parcel locker as a distribution method that will bring it additional sales in the future. He wants this delivery method to generate additional income now. If you sell him your service for 100 rubles, he wants to resell it to the client for 200. And courier delivery costs 220 or 250 rubles. And this is beginning to put a lot of pressure on the profitability of parcel terminal operations.
For example,Ozon is now trying to launch its own parcel terminals, just like Amazon does. But at the same time, when it comes to using third-party parcel terminal networks, Ozon immediately switches to the “earn more money on logistics” mode. This is an attempt to solve tactical problems - and miss strategic opportunities. By marking up external services, the company is trying to compensate for the unprofitability of its own delivery service. But it cannot yet become profitable, because for this the number of orders that pass through their own pickup points and courier must increase by 5-6 times. But this is impossible: online stores are growing at 20-25% per year.
The market is currently in its infancy. Investors must be patient, and parcel lockers must find partners who will look at them as a way to increase not the income per order, but the number of repeat purchases.
P.S. Nadezhda Romanova did not agree with her colleague’s statements aboutPickPoint:
“For our part, I can report that the PickPoint company reached the required volumes 2 years ago and passed the break-even point. If we draw financial analogies, the margins for courier delivery and delivery through parcel terminals are the same. The question here is the business model and development strategy that the company provides the opportunity to build a business or, in case of an error, lead to failure. In this, the post office business is no different from any other. Some people succeed, others don’t. With the same premise, it can be argued that courier delivery or delivery through order pick-up points. cannot be an independent business, and fulfillment is not a working model at all. Practice shows that this is, at a minimum, a wrong opinion.”
In the second part of the article, read: online retailers - about parcel terminals. Who should and who does not need to connect this type of delivery?
What are parcel terminals or post offices, as they are sometimes called? In general, this is another way to deliver an online store order to the end customer. They differ from other delivery methods in that delivery to a parcel locker fully automated. A simple example: the delivery options for your online store include PickPoint parcel terminals. When placing an order, the client simply selects them from the list, then also selects a convenient parcel locker at a specific address - and that’s all. The order arrived - the client received a message with a code, went to the selected parcel terminal, paid for the order by card or cash, received the code, opened the box, and picked up the order. Fast, modern, convenient and relatively inexpensive.
Delivery by parcel locker
Many buyers who do not want strangers to see the contents of their orders choose online stores with delivery to parcel lockers. So, if the range of your goods can cause moral harm to the puritanical views of some comrades, parcel lockers will really appeal to your customers. And in general, this method of receiving an order is a little reminiscent of spy games with obtaining a secret code from a bank safe deposit box and extracting valuable cargo from it.
How to use the parcel machine
Seriously, for many, many buyers the most convenient way to receive their orders is online store parcel terminals. Usually they are located in large shopping centers, so you can make purchases at the same time, the buyer does not depend on the courier, does not stand in queues at the Russian Post or at a pickup point, the entire process of receiving an order takes two minutes at most. In addition, if the buyer did not manage to pick up his order on time, he can simply extend the shelf life of the order and come pick it up at a time convenient for him. All this together makes parcel machines such a convenient and inexpensive way to deliver orders for online store customers.
PickPoint parcel locker
The Axelion company carefully monitors the wishes and requirements of its customers, so we have had the option of delivering goods from online stores by parcel machines for quite some time. We cooperate with several companies providing such services as parcel locker PickPoint, as a reliable and trusted partner of Axelion, gives our clients the opportunity to use more than 1,800 parcel terminals in all large and medium-sized cities of Russia.
Delivery services
In addition, we have other partners who provide the opportunity to use their parcel terminals for our clients. By contacting Axelion, you save yourself from the need to enter into separate contracts with each transport company. All you have to do is call Axelion and you will have a network of parcel terminals at your disposal in more than six hundred cities in Russia. Your customers will be able to choose the most convenient addresses for the location of parcel lockers, terms and conditions of delivery, and its cost. In addition, Axelion can offer you other ways to deliver your goods to customers, including express delivery, delivery by couriers and pickup points. Along with goods delivery services, we can offer you the service of storing your goods in our own warehouse.
We do not mark up the rates of our partners, we simply help make your business successful. You can find out more about our services and our tariffs in the relevant sections of the site.
Better yet, just call Axelion and grow your business with us!
Dear friends! We have good news!
01.04.2018 Sexshop IntimHouse has canceled paid courier delivery for the city of Moscow and almost all cities in the Moscow region. Our full-time courier-driver-forwarder will deliver your order to you free of charge from any amount!
15.04.2018 Pickup of your order from any of our IntimHouse stores is free of any order amount!
01.05.2018 IntimHouse has canceled paid delivery for orders placed using the Pickpoint service - from any order amount.
Previously the following conditions were in effect:
When ordering up to 1000 RUR, delivery cost - 500 R
When ordering from 1000 RUR to 2000 RUR, the delivery cost is 300 R
When ordering from 2000 rub. delivery - for free
When ordering from 3000 rubles free and there is a discount system.
We offer 6 types of delivery:
1. Courier delivery carried out in Moscow, Moscow region and Kaluga region. The fastest and most convenient delivery method, especially for residents of the Moscow region.
Usually, order delivery in Moscow and the region is carried out on the same day if your order is placed before 10.00.
The product is packed in an opaque black bag without logos, the courier’s car does not have any inscriptions related to the sex shop.
Delivery is possible not only to an apartment or office, but also to the metro, train stations and airports.
2. Pickup
3. Parcel terminals and PickPoint pick-up points
Find the nearest PickPoint pick-up point (http://pickpoint.ru/postamats/)
Departure monitoring(http://pickpoint.ru/monitoring/?shop=407643230_923)
Parcel machines are automated terminals for issuing orders.
The order will be placed in neutral packaging that is not associated with a sex shop. And the sender will be indicated as IP Zatulina I.A.
This is a completely anonymous delivery method, in which you do not meet with the courier, and no one except you and the operator accepting the order will know about the contents of the order.
When using this type of delivery, the buyer agrees to receive SMS messages with the order delivery status from the transport company (Pickpoint).
4. CDEK order pick-up points
Delivery cost is fixed - 300 RUR regardless of the order amount.
This is an anonymous delivery method. The order will be placed in neutral packaging that is not associated with a sex shop. And the sender will be indicated as IP Zatulina I.A. Receipt is made according to the order number, and the invoice will indicate “Souvenirs”. The employee at the delivery point also does not know about the contents of the order.
5. Post office and other transport companies.
Delivery to the regions, as well as to other countries, is possible by Russian Post and transport companies, such as Business Lines, especially large-sized cargo, such as sex machines. Cost - according to the tariffs of the transport company. For Russian Post, payment upon receipt is possible - cash on delivery. Parcels are sent with a tracking number, which will be sent to you immediately after the order has been shipped.
The minimum order amount for sending by Russian Post or other transport company is 2000 RUR
To find out the cost of shipping an order, you can call the store or write to an online chat and ask to calculate the cost of shipping, indicating the contents of the order, or place an order and then the operator will name the cost of sending the order when it is confirmed by phone.
Remember that intimate goods, intimate cosmetics and underwear cannot be exchanged or returned , therefore, before we send the goods, we check them, if you have any doubts about the functionality of the toys, our courier can check the goods in your presence.
6. Delivery to other countries - outside the Russian Federation.
Delivery to almost all countries of the world is carried out by Russian Post, in some by SDEK.
The goods are dispatched only after 100% PAYMENT for the goods. This must be done on the website online using a bank card. Delivery outside the Russian Federation is calculated individually in each specific case. In this situation, in most cases we will not be able to provide free delivery. To do this, you need to contact our operator. For consultation, just call us 8 800 301-7069, 8 499 408-6220 or write to Viber or WatsApp 7 925 552-2990. We guarantee you an individual approach and prices provided by Russian Post or SDEK. We choose the smallest one.
You can pay for delivery outside Russia on the website by adding an item to your order Individual delivery outside the Russian Federation. Our operator will tell you the amount and you will enter a multiple of the amount and thus the amount will be changed to the current one.
If the order amount is significant, we do not exclude a situation in which the delivery fee may be cancelled.
draw your attention to that persons strictly over 18 years of age are allowed to receive goods purchased in the Intim House store. When placing an order through Pickpoint, you guarantee that the recipient on your part is 18+. This is the Law.
Payment
We accept payments: cash, bank cards, Yandex.Money, WebMoney, as well as payment through payment terminals. In case of delivery through, payment can be made in cash or by credit card (if available) at the place of receipt of the order.
- When paying with bank cards - no commission is charged.
- When paying with Yandex.Money - no commission is charged.
- When paying via WebMoney - no commission is charged.
- When paying through payment terminals, the commission will be from 0% to 5% depending on the terminal.
Find the location of the nearest payment terminal on the terminal map
We also accept cards for payment on the website of other countries of the world. If your card is in dollars, euros, or any other currency, then it will be converted into rubles on the side of your bank. We do not know your bank's cross rate. We do not have a foreign currency account.
Perhaps you will find the answer to your question in the “Question-Answer” section
Telephone number of a logistics specialist and consultant of the IntimHouse online store from 9 to 20 every day, seven days a week.
8 800 301-7069 , 8 499 408-6220
Viber and VhatsApp
79255522990
8 905 754 81 76 Irina.
You can also write us a letter [email protected]. Letters are collected daily.
To quickly answer any question, an online consultant works daily on any page of the site.
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