I believe that we are all familiar with Parcel Lockers as this is probably the most convenient way of delivery. For those who never used it, the mechanism of a parcel locker could not be easier . Your order your package online, and the instance it is placed in the locker by the currier you receive a notification about it. Then you can simply go near it, open the locker from a phone app and collect your parcel. Simple as that.
In 2019 there were more parcel lockers than Polish Post facilities, and now there are more than 9000 parcel lockers and their number is still increasing. The polish company that owns them is called InPost and it was developed by Integer, which was directed by Lukasz Nowiński in the years 2008-2012. Meanwhile, Nowinski developed another company known now as Retail Robotics.
Retail Robotics, which produced over 10 000 modules for InPost’s parcel lockers, has recently developed a device, which is basically a “parcel locker” for groceries. It is called Arctan and has from 12 to 15,5 square meters. It has two temperature zones, one for regular groceries and one for frozen food, it can store around 200 grocery orders. It has two or three panels for clients’ and couriers’ usage and from four to six bins where groceries can be collected.
The procedure, like the one of a parcel locker, is very simple, you order products online, receive a message when it is ready for you to collect, scan a QR code or type a code in the machine, and in less than 15 seconds your groceries will be transported to the collection bin. It offers simultaneous consumer pick-up and courier drop-off. And can serve 2-3 customers at a time. One courier can deliver even 200-300 orders a day. It is said it can reduce delivery costs by 70%.
The first Arctan had its premiere in Paris in August 2020. And the company that trusted Retail Robotic is Carrefour. Arctan can be implemented inside dedicated spaces in the city, next to the stores, or, as claimed to be the most efficient, a drive-through.
I, as a regular user of InPost’s parcel lockers, cannot wait for this solution to be implemented in Poland. Recently I have tried ordering my groceries from companies that offer to-house food deliveries, however, the nearest delivery time was in two weeks from that date. Arctan which can offer same-day deliveries would be a solution I will definitely use. However, for Arctan to enter the Polish market we will have to wait some time. For now, Nowiński wants to focus on e-grocery markets in France or England.
(Pickup Hero)
In Poland, we can observe the development of another Retail Robotics product- Pickup Hero. It is a small robotic parcel locker designed for places with limited space. The first one was already placed in one of Żabka stores in Poznań.
Sources
The premiere of Arctan in Paris: https://www.rrobotics.co/en/article/premiere-of-arctan-in-paris
PickupHero: https://www.rrobotics.co/en/product/pickuphero
Arctan: https://www.rrobotics.co/en/product/arctan
Domaradzki K., Forbes, November 2020, “Retail Robotics. Ojciec paczkomatów cyfryzuje “spożywkę”.”
01.07.2020, Komunikat Żabka, „Żabka testuje automat do obsługi paczek”, https://www.zabka.pl/media/download/5efc70d30ba0b/2020-07-01-zabka-automatyczny-odbior-paczek.pdf