Growing popularity of parcel lockers The dynamic growth of the e-commerce industry has led to the development of new solutions that ensure the maximum convenience of the shipment and collection of products. Special machines for parcel shipping have become widespread, and they are used not just by businesses but also by private individuals. We will discuss the growing popularity of parcel lockers! Why have parcel lockers become so popular? The first Paczkomat® parcel locker of InPost was created in 2009. Automatic machines used to collect and send parcels have quickly gained popularity. They turned out to be a very comfortable solution because they made it unnecessary to wait for the courier – many people are out during the standard delivery hours and cannot collect their parcel themselves. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has further contributed to the popularity of parcel lockers. In 2021, there were already 15 thousand parcel lockers[1]. That is because they were not only convenient but also safe – they did not require contact with the courier. Also, further features (e.g., the introduction of a special application) made the parcel collection/dispatch process even easier. How is the parcel locker trend developing? At this moment, InPost is the biggest operator of parcel lockers in Poland. Around the end of last year, it had 27,939 parcel lockers overall, 19,306 of which were located in Poland[2]. According to a report by Gemius, “E-commerce in Poland 2022[3]”, this is the form of delivery that is chosen most often by the users – 81% of survey-takers declare that they use it most often. The competition has already started to introduce similar solutions. Companies such as DPD, Allegro, Poczta Polska, Orlen, Aliexpress or DHL are installing their own versions of this equipment. In response to these actions, InPost has focused on the protection of its brand, reserving the name Paczkomat® as a word trademark[4]. [1] Source: https://inpost.pl/aktualnosci-mamy-juz-15-000-paczkomatow. [2] Source: https://www.wirtualnemedia.pl/artykul/marki-drwia-inpost-odmieniaja-nazwy-przez-przypadki-kto-jest-zalozycielem-rafal-brzoska-balansuje-na-granicy-wielkosci-i-smiesznosci. [3] Source: https://www.gemius.pl/wydawcy-aktualnosci/raport-e-commerce-2022-juz-dostepny.html. [4] Source: https://forsal.pl/biznes/aktualnosci/artykuly/8654627,inpost-znak-towarowy-paczkomat.html. iLabs - Kamil