Evri expands locker network as WFH changes take hold

The online shopping industry has been given another boost with parcel delivery company Evri planning to set up 10,000 lockers across the UK in response to more and more people returning to the office and needing somewhere for their parcels to be delivered.

The “smart lockers” will be accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and can be used for both pick-up and drop-off.  Evri insisted thee £50m investment will bring convenience and cost savings for customers, as well as environmental benefits

The parcel giant says it has seen a 500% year-on-year increase in locker usage and aims to have 2,000 lockers ready for Christmas 2025, with the rest rolled out before 2030.

The company also intends to continue the growth of its ParcelShop network of independent convenience stores.

Evri chief executive Martijn de Lange said: “We are committed to offering greater delivery choices for the consumers, retail clients, and businesses that we serve.

“This major multimillion-pound investment will establish one of the UK’s largest pick-up and drop-off networks, as part of our mission to become the UK’s premier parcel delivery business.

“Our expanding network of locations is shaping the future of parcel delivery in the UK with smart technology and greater accessibility.”

Evri recently announced a deal to merge with DHL’s UK ecommerce business, in a move which will see it also enter the UK business letter market for the first time, competing further with Royal Mail, but it needs regulatory approval.

Royal Mail has ramped up its attack on the parcel market by signing a major deal with Sainsbury’s to instal parcel lockers at stores across UK. The move marked the first such agreement between Royal Mail and a UK supermarket to house its locker network, which launched in December.

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