Green solutions and improved air quality
InPost - a leader among e-commerce delivery platforms in Europe - has partnered with the City of Kraków as part of the " Green City ". The programme supports the development of Polish cities in line with the idea of the 'smart city' - by offering modern services to residents, developing an optimal and ecological network of devices and taking measures to improve air quality and climate protection. The 'Green City' programme is part of InPost's long-term strategy, which includes a wide range of innovation and environmental initiatives.
The Green City programme also envisages the development of a range of modern services for residents, such as electric chargers at InPost machines, the development of environmentally friendly transport and the planting of air-purifying vegetation, among others. In addition, InPost intends to gradually replace its delivery fleet with electric cars in the partner cities as a first step.
- As a market leader, we set standards in business, also in terms of environmental responsibility. We have an ambitious goal - we want to be the most climate-neutral logistics company in Poland and ultimately to achieve total climate neutrality. What is more, together with our local government partners, we are embarking on activities to increase the quality of life of the inhabitants of Polish cities - by developing mobile access to city services, supporting ecological transport, reducing car traffic or protecting the air. We are probably the first logistics company in the world to join forces with local authorities in environmental and climate protection activities. By the end of the year, we want to include several dozen of Poland's largest cities in the programme - underlines Rafał Brzoska, CEO of InPost.
- Kraków has been focusing on ecology for years and is a leader in this area in Poland. The main objective of our joint activities with InPost is to promote pro-environmental activities, build supporting infrastructure and implement initiatives that build and promote pro-environmental behaviour among residents. We want to further develop the idea of electromobility using good practices developed by InPost. To this end, a network of charging stations for electromobility vehicles may be established on the basis of the existing and planned infrastructure of office machines and the Paczkomat® device. - says Jacek Majchrowski, Mayor of Krakow.
Paczkomat® InPost is the most environmentally friendly form of online shopping. InPost's analyses show that ordering a parcel to the device reduces CO2 emissions by up to 75% compared to delivery directly to the customer's home. In 2020 alone, deliveries to InPost machines reduced CO2 emissions by more than 180,000 tonnes. The further development and optimisation of InPost's machine network will contribute to reducing car traffic in cities, which will translate into improved air quality and climate protection.
InPost already has nearly 7 million active app users InPost Mobile . Thanks to the app, several people can receive parcels at the same time at one device, without the need to stand in line or touch the screen - the boxes are opened using a smartphone. The revolutionary service of sending parcels via the app is also breaking records in popularity - it is sent via Paczkomat® InPost - to another Paczkomat® or to a specified home address. There is no need to stick any labels on the parcel - just an electronically generated QR code or a sending code in the app. The InPost app has been among the most downloaded and used apps in Poland in the GP and AppStore shops for a year now. Through the InPost Mobile app, a parcel can be paid for with a BLIK code, payment card or fast transfer (DotPay), and soon Apple Pay and Google Pay. The status of a shipped parcel can be tracked in the app, of course, but also at www.inpost.pl in the "Parcel Tracking" section and via chatbot by entering the 24-digit parcel number or the phone number and the last four digits of the parcel number. The InPost Mobile app can be downloaded from the Google Play, App Store and Huawei AppGallery shops.
InPost can also be contacted using Google Assistant. The conversation starts by calling a bot called ChatBot Mat with the phrase "Talk to InPost". Customers can ask about, among other things, the status of their parcel, the nearest Parcel Machine®, as well as a new feature - the number to courier . The same Bot is also available on Messenger, with all its functionalities.
From April 2021, InPost, together with IdoSell, introduced the groundbreaking Smile service. Thanks to it, consumers who shop at selected online shops will receive free delivery to Paczkomat® for orders worth more than PLN 40.
In addition, InPost has started a long-term cooperation with Echo Investment. As part of the agreement, devices will be installed at the developer's residential and mixed-use developments to enable convenient collection and delivery of parcels for both residents and other users. The first device has already been installed at the Moje Miejsce development in Warsaw. Further ones will be built at the Bonarka Living estate in Kraków and Enter in Poznań.
Due to the rapid growth of InPost's network of Paczkomat® devices in Poland and Europe, InPost is building a new factory for these and will develop a research and development centre. The factory will be built as part of the newly created City Logistics Kraków Airport park, will occupy a total of 7230 m2 and will be equipped with photovoltaic panels. It will be put into operation as early as June 2021. The new plant will be built right next to the Balice II junction of the A4. This will enable InPost to increase the efficiency of its production processes while guaranteeing a convenient location for the workforce and increasing employment. At City Logistics Kraków Airport - in addition to the production of machinery, including the electromechanical assembly of touchscreen modules - a research and development centre with two laboratories and a showroom will be developed. Development work will be carried out there, as well as tests of new solutions.
The carbon footprint calculator indicates that if traditional home courier deliveries were replaced by delivery to a Paczkomat®, the reduction in CO2 emissions would reach up to 75%[1] . Delivering a parcel to an InPost machine means at least 0.35 kg less CO2 emissions into the atmosphere per parcel. This makes InPost the most environmentally neutral logistics service provider.
InPost also offers a service "Parcel in a Weekend" - due to the growing demand for services based on a network of machines. It allows deliveries to Paczkomat® also on Saturdays and Sundays - the cost of the service is PLN 4.99 gross. As part of 'Parcels at the weekend', parcels are delivered to customers at the weekend if sending (i.e. handing over the parcel to the machine or POP or placing an order for a courier to collect it), takes place by 1pm on Saturday.
The network of Paczkomat® devices (more than 12,000 devices in Poland) has more than doubled the scale of Poczta Polska's own outlets (4,600[2]) . Paczkomat® InPost is also available in Poland at shops: Dino, Lidl, Kaufland, the Delikatesy Centrum chain of shops organised by the Eurocash Group, as well as in Auchan Shopping Centres. InPost has also signed a contract with the Auchan shop chain for delivery to Refrigerators . The functionalities of the InPost fridge machines allow for the safe storage and collection of food, beverages and frozen food ordered online from Auchan Direct. According to the Kantar TNS survey, as many as 40% of online shoppers want to collect their groceries at Paczkomat® InPost.
In addition, InPost - responding to market demand - has launched a Parcel Machine® InDoor designed specifically for indoor installation. With InDoor facilities, property owners provide their residents and tenants with the most advantageous and popular shopping pick-up option. At the same time, they attract local residents to the location - thus generating additional profits for shops and service outlets.
According to a report by Gemius[3], parcel machines® are the most frequently chosen form of delivery - they have overtaken couriers. This type of delivery of goods is preferred by up to 61% of online shoppers. This represents an increase in the popularity of the service among internet users by as much as 9 percentage points compared to the results of the 2019 report. For the first time ever, Paczkomat® beat courier delivery in popularity, which is chosen by 55% of respondents - the first result of its kind in the world. In addition, as many as 68% of respondents declare that the possibility to pick up their purchases via InPost devices motivates them to shop at a specific online shop - a year-on-year increase of 7 percentage points.
As of 2019, InPost is the leader in the leasing of warehouse space in Poland. In 2019, the company leased a total of 107,950 m² - 4% of the total net demand in the country[4] . InPost also led the KEP industry in terms of space delivered in 2019 - a total of 57,863 m² - ahead of DHL and Poczta Polska on the podium. The locations launched by InPost in 2019 position the company in the Top 3 most active e-commerce players in the warehouse logistics market - InPost is second only to Amazon and Zalando, the global e-commerce giants, in this respect.
InPost is also investing in green transport. The company has expanded its fleet of electric cars with 40 new Nissan e-NV200 XL Voltia and announces the purchase of more. The cars provide a range of up to 200km in the city, 8m³ of cargo space and a payload of 580kg.
InPost is systematically introducing new services - in 2020, it launched the specialised Paczkomat® Office 24, which it donated to government offices, Among others, in Toruń, Gorzów Wielkopolski, Gdynia, Kraków, Kalisz, Słubice, Dąbrowa Górnicza, Poświętno, Izabelin, Nowy Targ, Wolsztyn, Chojnice, Pruszków, Brodnica, Gorzów Wielkopolski, Wołomin, Koszalin and Lubań. They allow residents to deal with official matters without the need to enter a building and have direct contact with officials. Further installations of the machines at offices throughout Poland are planned - InPost is in talks with dozens more cities.
InPost has also introduced the InPost Fullfilment logistics service dedicated to business customers. The company provides infrastructure and know-how and supports customers at every stage of the warehousing process. As a logistics partner, InPost offers the highest quality of service and automation of the entire logistics process based on its own experience. Thanks to the InPost service Fulfillment e-commerce entrepreneurs can focus on growing their business and not worry about issues related to storage facilities, packaging of goods and shipping.
InPost S.A ("InPost") is a leading delivery platform for e-commerce. Founded in 1999 by Rafal Brzoska in Poland, InPost has a network of Paczkomat® machines in Poland, the UK and Italy, and provides courier and fullfilment services to e-commerce merchants in Poland. In 2020, InPost processed 249 million parcels through Paczkomat® machines, working with more than 26,000 e-tailers. Strategically positioned in the fast-growing e-commerce ecosystem, it benefits from favourable market trends - allowing it to rapidly deploy new machines. InPost machines provide consumers with a cheaper, flexible, convenient, environmentally friendly and contactless delivery option. In this way, InPost creates the most environmentally friendly delivery solution for e-commerce - delivery to Paczkomat® machines reduces CO2 emissions by two-thirds compared to courier deliveries in urban areas and by as much as 90% in rural areas. In addition, it reduces congestion and provides a more convenient solution for delivering parcels to consumers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and without having to wait at home. A highly efficient IT infrastructure and rapid deployment of new technologies underpin InPost's operations and growth. InPost's mobile app 'InPost Mobile' is one of the most popular apps in Poland with nearly 7 million active users. In January 2021, InPost successfully debuted on the EURONEXT Amsterdam stock exchange.
More information at: inpost.pl
[1] Source: InPost B2B carbon footprint calculator, InPost's own data
[2] Source: biznes.gazetaprawna.pl/artykuly/1401760,zarzad-poczty-o-podwyzkach-dla-listonoszy.html
[3] Gemius for e-Commerce Poland, E-commerce in Poland 2020, N=1544, March 2020
[4] Source: Cresa Polska, Industrial Research Forum (IRF)
