InPost, Europe’s leading automated parcel machine (APM) service provider, has today announced that it has successfully deployed its 5,000th locker unit in the UK.

This achievement highlights the rapid growth in consumer demand for Out Of Home (OOH) delivery services. InPost’s Q3 volumes increased by 227% in the UK compared to the same period in 2021* and the business now has over 50,000 OOH options across nine major European markets.

It means there are approximately 290,000 individual locker compartments available for consumers to collect, return and send their parcels across the country. And nearly half of residents in London, Birmingham and Manchester live within a seven-minute walk of an InPost Locker.

Michael Rouse, CEO at InPost International, said:“We are extremely proud to have installed our 5,000th locker in the UK following a year of continued demand from consumers and retailers alike. In the last 12 months we have seen a huge appetite in the UK for convenient and hassle-free parcel services, and the rate at which we are growing shows that this mindset is here to stay. And at a time when local highstreets are struggling to regain footfall, OOH options such as lockers provide a real and impactful solution to meeting the needs of our communities.”

InPost Lockers, which are mostly available 24/7, can be found at convenience-boosting locations such as train stations, petrol forecourts and supermarkets, enabling ultimate flexibility. Whether customers are on their commute to work, heading out for dinner with friends, or returning from the gym, shoppers can ‘trip-twin’ and use InPost Lockers at a time, and a place, that suits them.

At a time when UK high street footfall levels continue to fluctuate, InPost Lockers play a role in supporting local businesses by encouraging new and different types of customers to nearby shops. This is supported by recent research conducted in partnership with Lidl, which found that 54% of InPost Locker users went on to make a purchase in-store, with nearly half confirming that using the locker was the main reason for their purchase.

The announcement follows a number of significant partnerships in 2022, including landlords such as Transport for Greater Manchester and Morrisons, as well as retailers such as Vinted and WHSmith.