Have you faced issues with scheduling your online deliveries? Well, not anymore! The Dutch startup Smartmile and MediaMarkt have joined hands to launch a new smart parcel station.
It is a fully automated parcel station, which stores all the parcels irrespective of the courier service so that you can collect them at any time as per your convenience. Using Smartmile, you can quickly and easily collect your parcels. The first parcel station has been set up at the MediaMarktSaturn campus in Ingolstadt, Germany. The company claims that further services will be rolled out in the future.
It’s a 24-hour service
The concept of parcel stations makes online shopping easier. Typically, you will have to pick up the parcels from a neighbourhood or spend hours of time in collecting it at the post office. This situation has been changed by the parcel stations. Such services let you collect your parcel without altering your schedule. Smartmile takes it to the next level as this smart parcel station collects parcels from any courier service such as DHL, Hermes, UPS or any others.
Integrated payment system
For instance, it will let you place a broken smartphone in the automated box or machine in the morning even before the store opens and collect the same in good working condition later that evening. The box is a fully automatic modular shelf system that works with an integrated payment function. The parcel station can be used in numerous ways to make it beneficial.
Roadmap for expansion
This parcel station can do more than just storing and issuing the parcels. The Smartmile parcel station is right now located at the Wankelstrasse and Eriagstrasse junction in the vicinity of MediaMarkt. The pilot project will be tested for six to nine months following which it could be expanded. For now, the station stores the parcels for seven days and the same can be extended based on request. The returns can be dealt with easily using the parcel station.
Secure PIN verification
If you are interested in using Smartmile, you need to sign up on www.smartmile.de. You will get an individual ID and the delivery address parcel station. Next time, when you place an order online, you can give the address of the parcel station as the delivery address. Once Smartmile has the parcel ready for you in the station, you will get a PIN via text message. This PIN has to be used to collect the parcel from the machine at the campus.
Easy returns
With Smartmile, you can return the products easily. You just have to return the package from the same point where you picked it up from. To get a refund, you will get a new code for verification.
On the whole, Smartmile connects automated parcel terminals to any buyer, courier and retailer thereby creating an open and shared delivery infrastructure that is more efficient, more convenient and more sustainable.
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