Smart Lockers Are Changing The Way Retail Shopping Is Done

The way of how retail shopping is done has been greatly changed by smart lockers. The fact that integrating smart lockers into retail-stores brings a lot of benefits with them is found out by more retailers every day. By giving customers the flexibility to choose when to pick up a package and the comfort of knowing that the packages will always be safe no matter what happens to them, the smart lockers enhance convenience for the customers.

The first smart parcel locker station in China was invented by Dongcheng Electronic in 2012, a company established in 1998 and dedicated to developing electronic lockers ever since. Today, DC lockers have become one of the biggest manufacturers of smart lockers all over the world, still pursuing the concept to provide customers with smart lockers that will be “the best way parcel.”

In this article, we’ll help you find out what exactly smart lockers are and what problems they seek answers for. Also, we will look at the benefits brought by smart retail parcel lockers from both the perspective of the retailer and the perspective of the customer. By providing a better understanding of the way smart lockers work and the role they play in a retail environment, we help you get insight into how retail shopping is having a revolution because of their application.

Smart Lockers Explained

A smart locker is a storage solution integrating technology that automates package notification as well as distribution. Once a package has entered the smart locker system, the system will automatically notify the recipient that their package is ready for pickup and provides access instructions for them。

Generally, the access instructions will be in the form of an order number or a barcode that can be scanned. When the recipient arrives at the locker location, they can open the gate by entering their verification information correctly and then retrieve their packages.

Why Choose a Smart Locker?

Retailers choose to use a smart locker system for many reasons.

Firstly, a smart locker system does a lot, since it automates various functions that would need more than one person to carry out, thus improving efficiency and driving down costs. By using a smart locker system, retailers can save in more than one area of their operations.

Take buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS) services, for example, smart lockers can reduce its labor costs. The store employee only needs to retrieve an order, enter it into the locker system, and then be free to return to other tasks. Without a smart locker, a traditional BOPIS service will involve one staff member at each end of the transaction, thus increasing the labor costs.

On last-mile shipping costs, retailers are also able to cut. A buy-online-pickup-in-locker (BOPIL) service with a smart locker system allows retailers to leverage the stock of their store and the logistics network supporting it. The consumers benefit by having access to order fulfillment faster than most expedited shipping services, while at the same time the shipping cost savings are maximized.

Many shoppers like the value and convenience offered by online shopping, but will still choose to pick up their products in a store if they are given a choice. They also do so out of security concerns for their purchase since that package thefts have become increasingly commonplace.

Thus, retailers begin to use smart lockers to provide their customers with a secure portal, so that the customers can retrieve their orders without sacrificing the benefit of faster order fulfillment.

Another advantage of smart lockers is that the order pickup process gets streamlined. Instead of replacing BOPIS services or delivery, the locker systems aim to create an easy and efficient pickup process, which improves the ease and efficiency for both staff and customers. As for staff, they no longer have to go through the extra step of notifying the customer, nor do they need to be involved in the final order handoff. All they need to do is to quickly enter the orders into the system.

Conclusion

The use of smart lockers in grocery retail and other retail environments offers various advantages for both shoppers and retailers. As for customers, the entire process is automated from end to end, so that they can just click and collect without interacting with staff or waiting in line for package retrieve. The smart lockers create greater customer satisfaction with an allowance for customers to make a quick stop into a retail location for their package retrieve whenever they’re convenient.

On the other hand, the retailers appreciate the smart locker systems for the data they provide, such as real-time analytics of the final stage of customers’ order fulfillment. This is what standard BOPIS services can not simply get access to. Also, there is no difficulty in augmenting the in-store pickup with the smart locker capabilities, considering the help of existing software and applications in the intelligent locker systems. This facilitates the work of the retailers.

In the end, smart lockers have been proved as an effective way to improve convenience for customers as well as improve the efficiency of retailers’ in-store pickup options. Both sides have shown a great interest and strong desire in this technology, which gives it a bright future.