Spanish postal group Correos is extending its network of parcel lockers to train stations and is stepping up e-commerce promotion activities, including through an agreement with Alibaba Group.
In a pilot project with Spanish rail operator Renfe, CityPaq self-service parcel lockers have been installed in nine local stations in Barcelona and Madrid. The machines, which are accessible during train station opening hours, have up to 80 compartments of different sizes.
Correos and Renfe are planning to introduce lockers at other train stations across Spain if this pilot test proves successful.
Meanwhile, a CityPaq locker installed last September at the head office of telecoms group Telefonica in Madrid has been declared as the most used one in Spain, with more than 900 registered users.
The Spanish postal operator has so far installed about 50 parcel lockers, supplied by Austrian firm KEBA, at diverse locations in cooperation with businesses, petrol stations and transport companies.
Separately, Correos has signed a cooperation agreement with business association ATA to promote e-commerce solutions, especially the company’s Comandia solution and its parcel delivery services, to Spanish SMEs. Members of the association can sign up to create and manage a webshop, and use the associated delivery services, at preferential prices.
Last month, Correos and Alibaba Group jointly organized meetings with 70 SMEs to promote Spanish products on the Chinese group’s Tmall Global marketplace. The two companies also signed a cooperation agreement covering Chinese exports via the Aliexpress international platform and plans for Correos to create its own presence on Tmall Global.
Meanwhile, Correos Express last month opened a new 3,000 sqm depot in Benavente, near Zamora in northern Spain. The automated sorting system, supplied by Vanderlande, will be used to mechanise the complete exchange of goods between northern Spain and the rest of the country.
