PostNord buys Swipbox’s share of Danish parcel locker JV

PostNord has acquired Swipbox’s 50% stake in their Danish parcel lockers JV as it steps up ‘substantial’ investments in its own Nordic network to provide a wider range of convenient e-commerce delivery options.

The postal group explained that it wants to have more than 12,500 of its own parcel boxes in the four Nordic countries (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland) before the end of 2022 – with investments in additional parcel boxes planned for 2023.

Parcel boxes have become particularly popular in the wake of the pandemic, as they allow deliveries to be made without any physical contact at all, PostNord emphasised. Consumers can already choose a parcel box as the delivery option in the checkout phase where boxes are already available in the immediate area. The parcel boxes can easily be set up outdoors and need neither electricity supply nor any other connection.

Heavy investments

“We’re convinced that this form of delivery is set to become increasingly popular as more and more people discover the benefits of e-commerce, and more parcels are sent by mail. We at PostNord consider it only natural to strive to live up to consumer demands for flexibility and convenience. That’s why we’re ramping up the pace of development and investing heavily in expanding our own network of parcel boxes in the Nordic region,” said CEO Annemarie Gardshol.

Sole ownership in Denmark

As part of this expansive strategy, PostNord has now acquired SwipBox’s share of the Danish Nærboks network of parcel boxes, which was jointly launched by the two companies in 2019, to become the sole owner.

There are currently 2,550 Nærboks-branded parcel terminals in Denmark and overall PostNord now has 2,950 boxes of its own in the country. The company plans to have a total of 3,100 parcel boxes in Denmark by the end of 2021.

Expansion in Sweden, Norway and Finland

In Sweden, PostNord currently has around 330 parcel boxes, primarily in the large cities of Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. In July, the network will be expanded to encompass 620 boxes in approx. 350 locations all over the country, and the plan is to have a total of 4,500 boxes in Sweden by the end of 2022.

PostNord is also planning a big rollout in Norway, where it currently has around 310 boxes in Oslo. The ambition is to have a total of 1,500 parcel boxes in the country by the end of 2022, with locations in Bergen and Trondheim in use as well.

In Finland, PostNord currently delivers to shared network boxes, but a pilot project involving 100 own boxes in Turku and Tampere is planned for later this year. The long-term ambition is to improve the customer experience by establishing 600 own boxes over the course of 2022, primarily in the vicinity of PostNord’s terminals in the metropolitan areas around Helsinki, Turku, and Tampere.

Gardshol concluded: “We evaluate appropriate locations to ensure that the parcel boxes are installed in the most convenient place for parcel recipients; we also take into account aspects such as sustainability and the working environment for PostNord employees. Once the boxes are installed, this delivery option is added to the e-retailers’ checkout phase.”