MediaMarktSaturn is testing an automated parcel locker from Dutch startup Smartmile. The parcel station, placed near a MediaMarkt shop in Ingolstadt, Germany, is accessible to all carriers.
Smartmile is a cloud-based software platform that connects automated parcel terminals to online buyers, carriers and sellers, with which the startup aims to establish an open and shared infrastructure for urban delivery.
Shoppers enter address parcel locker
To use the parcel locker, consumers need to sign up with Smartmile, entering the address of the parcel locker when placing their online order. Once the parcel is delivered there, consumers receive a PIN that can be used to open the safe. Online shoppers can also leave their returns there.
Also access for local retailers
MediaMarkt plans to use the parcel locker not only for the last mile, but also to upgrade its own services. In the future, for instance, customers will be able to leave their smartphone to be repaired in the safe, only to pick it up again in the evening. The electronics giant plans to involve other retailers in Ingolstadt in the future. "This way, local retailers can offer their customers additional service," said manager Steffen Luippold of Smartmile
