Open parcel stations

The steady growth of online retail has an enormous impact on our city centers. Not least against the background of the transport planning and climate policy goals of the city of Aachen, this requires sustainable answers in the area of logistics and commercial transport. In Aachen, such an initial response has been tested since 25.09.23 as part of a one-year pilot project together with the logistics service provider GLS Germany.

Alongside Berlin, the imperial city is one of two pilot cities in which GLS is testing its innovative logistics service together with the city's business development agency. The special feature of the system is that it is open to all providers: customers can collect their parcels from a single parcel station, even if they are sent by different service providers. The prerequisite: the respective service provider must be part of the project.

The 20 open parcel stations set up in the city fulfill several functions at once: On the one hand, they simplify the shopping experience for citizens and, on the other, they support the local stationary retail trade through their smart usage options.

For example, the parcel stations enable retailers to offer their customers a click & collect option. Users book a compartment in the parcel station via a web tool and can then deliver their parcel to the parcel station using an app. End customers can then open the parcel via the app or via a link (which is sent by email) and remove the parcel. This gives brick-and-mortar retailers the opportunity to enable their customers to hand over goods outside of opening hours.

Thanks to the distribution of the parcel stations both in the city center and in the wider urban area, both local retailers and residents benefit equally from this new service.

The aim of the joint project is to help create a sustainable, liveable and diverse Aachen city center. With the help of the parcel stations, the shopping experience is enriched and flexible parcel delivery is made possible. The AachenBoxes also help to improve the quality of life for citizens and make a positive contribution to the health and vitality of the urban center. By bundling delivery traffic, parcel and courier journeys in the city center can be reduced, thereby lowering traffic density and noise emissions and improving air quality.

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