DPD has confirmed that more than 3,000 Collect+ parcel shops are to be added to the DPD Pickup network, as part of a deal with PayPoint, the owner of Collect+.
The new deal will expand the DPD Pickup network to over 6,000 stores nationwide, with 3,000 Collect+ outlets being added. As a result, 97% of the UK population will now be within five miles of a DPD Pickup store.
DPD Pickup launched in 2015 and has grown rapidly since, both in terms of major store brands recruited to the network and parcel volumes. DPD customers can already divert parcels for collection to participating Sainsbury's/Argos stores, Matalan, Go Outdoors, Blacks, Millets, Homebase and Doddle Click and Collect points in
Morrison's by using the DPD app or the in-flight options in their parcel notifications.
Collect+ was originally created in 2009, with PayPoint becoming the outright owners in April 2020, opening the way for new partnerships with other carriers.
The deal comes as DPD marks over 8 million UK downloads for its Your DPD app. The app allows recipients to set their own delivery preferences, including being able to search for and select their preferred DPD Pickup location and divert parcels to their shop if they aren't going to be at home.
Dwain McDonald, DPD's CEO commented, "Our aim is to have the most accessible parcel network in the UK, and to give our parcel recipients real convenience and even more control over how their parcel is delivered. Therefore, this is a key partnership for us and I'm really pleased to be working with PayPoint and growing the network in this way.
"DPD Pickup gives people a real choice, with a mix of big-name stores with loads of parking and other amenities, which may well fit in with their daily routines, as well as super-convenient locations close to home. It is also important to us that the customer experience and the service level is in keeping with everything we are about at DPD. Our technology works well with PayPoint to create a really smart partnership and I'm confident the experience for DPD recipients will be spot-on."
Ben Ford, Retail Services Director at PayPoint, commented, "We're delighted to work with DPD to allow Collect+ retailers to provide parcel services to even more of their customers. We have seen an unprecedented boom in online shopping in recent months and our network gives parcel recipients more options for convenient and safe delivery and collection. It also gives our retailer partners another reason for shoppers to use their store, add value and increase sales."