• Pickup parcel shops are now available in just under 100 BUDNI branches in the Hamburg metropolitan region and in Berlin
• After a successful test phase BUDNI and DPD Germany aim to establish a long-term partnership
• Smart link to DPD's digital services brings additional footfall to BUDNI branches

Hamburg / Aschaffenburg, 24 June 2020 – The Hamburg drugstore chain BUDNI (Budnikowsky GmbH & Co. KG) is to become a strategic partner in the parcel shop network of international parcel and express service provider DPD Germany. Pickup parcel shops can now be found in almost 100 BUDNI branches in the Hamburg metropolitan region and in Berlin. This means that more than 50% of BUDNI locations in Hamburg already make it possible to send, receive and return parcels. Both companies are aiming at a long-term partnership and intend to extend their cooperation to further branches throughout Germany. Previously a one-year test phase had been carried out at 20 BUDNI branches in Hamburg.

 

"We wish to make the lives of our customers easier and accept parcels like a helpful neighbour. In addition, we regard this as a possibility of relieving the pressure on the roads and the environment," explains Christoph Wöhlke, Managing Director of Budnikowsky GmbH & Co. KG.

Michael Knaupe, Chief Communications & Customer Experience Officer at DPD Germany, adds: 

"We're delighted that the BUDNI branches have become part of our nationwide network. With BUDNI we are gaining a partner that combines ideal locations and opening hours with premium quality and service awareness. The importance of parcel shops as delivery points will increase significantly in the coming years, which will attract more and more online shoppers to the branches of our partners".

In the course of their cooperation the two partners intend to press ahead with digital networking, for example on DPD's digital platforms. Another common priority is sustainable logistics. DPD offers carbon-neutral transport of all parcels at no extra charge. In addition, the delivery and collection of parcels in Hamburg city centre is carried out entirely free from emissions with a large number of electric vehicles.

On the digital channels, parcel consignees who are not at home during the day can select a specific BUDNI branch as their favourite parcel shop. If they wish, all their shipments in general or alternatively individual parcels can be redirected to this freely selectable BUDNI store. Consignees receive digital notification as soon as their parcel is ready for collection at BUDNI. This notification also includes a digital voucher that allows people collecting parcels to benefit from special offers and discounts at their BUDNI store.

"Our experience shows that people picking up parcels in the stores actually generate significant sales - especially if the digitally generated vouchers give them an additional incentive to do so," explains Michael Knaupe.

And this is how it all works for customers: they can now quickly and conveniently drop off parcels at all participating branches for shipping to Germany and other EU countries. Payment is made online. It is not necessary to print out a parcel label – all customers need to do is display the QR code on their smartphone. All parcels are automatically insured up to a value of €520. It is just as easy to return parcels, and thanks to the latest technology they can be processed at the shop in only a few seconds. Just last year DPD equipped its 7,500 Pickup parcel shops throughout Germany with the latest generation of hand-held scanners.

 

About DPD Germany

DPD Germany is part of DPDgroup, the largest international parcel delivery network in Europe. Throughout Germany DPD has 78 depots and 7,000 Pickup parcel shops. A workforce of 9,500 and 11,000 delivery drivers are in daily operation on behalf of the company’s customers. Every year the No. 2 on the German parcels market ships around 375 million parcels – providing carbon-neutral transport operations at no additional cost to the customer. With a number of initiatives for sustainable parcel delivery DPD is demonstrating, particularly in city centres, how parcel shipping can be made environmentally friendly and emission-free at the local level.

Through innovative technology, local knowledge and dedicated customer care, DPD provides the best possible experience for both shippers and shoppers. DPD’s industry-leading Predict service is setting a new standard for keeping customers closely in touch with their delivery, with real time tracking of their delivery, a one-hour delivery window and a range of options for redirecting parcels. In recognition of this innovation DPD Germany received several awards like the Digital Transformation Award or the UX Design Award.

As part of DPDgroup, DPD Germany has access to over 46,000 local Pickup points worldwide, and delivers to 230 countries and territories across the globe. DPDgroup’s 77,000 delivery experts work together to deliver more than 5.3 million parcels each day. The sole shareholder in DPD is GeoPost, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Le Groupe La Poste. GeoPost posted sales of €7.8 billion in the year 2019.