Global automation solutions provider KEBA is set to roll out more parcel lockers across the Faroe Islands in the coming months, expanding a partnership with national postal operator Posta, which began in 2022, and making it easier for staff and customers to deliver and receive parcels across the archipelago of remote islands.
According to KEBA, 10 parcel lockers are already in use on the Faroe Islands, with the installation of 10 more planned. Posta uses the lockers for “convenient, sustainable and cost-effective" parcel delivery and for pharmacy goods.
Thanks to strategically placed parcel lockers, recipients can easily pick up their prepaid medication, for example.
Posta noted that feedback from both parcel and pharmacy customers on the lockers has been “very positive” and that it plans to offer even more benefits in the future with the expansion of the network.
A challenging terrain
The Faroe Islands, with a population of just under 56,000, are characterized by their 18 islands with numerous mountains and valleys. The execution of the last mile, therefore, can be difficult. The islands’ road networks run along fjords and coasts, with the routes taken by delivery staff challenging.
To address this, and to tackle declining letter mail volumes, Posta decided to set up a parcel locker network across the archipelago.
A more efficient network
Edvard S Remberg, CIO at Posta, explained: “In the past, when the number of letters was higher, we delivered to most households anyway, so it did not make sense to set up a parcel locker network. We also knew that the payment and printing processes caused the greatest support effort in our postal logistics.
“Now that fewer and fewer letters are being sent and not all homes or areas are being delivered in the same way, parcel lockers have become important. We have also developed a customer platform where everything can be done in advance. This eliminates the need to print labels, weigh and pay on site and simplifies the shipping process for customers – payment terminals and printers are not required,” Remberg added.
According to KEBA, the new parcel locker network reduces the number of tours needed for last mile delivery, cutting costs and time. “We are very proud to be partnering with Posta to contribute to highly efficient logistics on the Faroe Islands,” added Daniel Sichmann, Sales Director at KEBA.
