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What Are Parcel Lockers? Why It Matters

When it comes to receiving packages at your commercial building or office block, there are few better solutions available today than installing a parcel locker.

But what are parcel lockers? That’s why we’ve written this post to explain. We’re going to let you know exactly what a parcel locker is and how it functions.

We’re also going to let you know why this is important with a list of the major benefits of installing a parcel locker. After reading this post, you’ll understand why you need to get a parcel locker for your building today!

What Are Parcel Lockers?

A parcel locker is a large locker that holds parcels. You’ll usually find them in the foyer of a large block of apartments or a commercial building.

They can come in varying shapes and sizes, though typically have a large number of individual lockers. These are then designated to different units in a building or different businesses in an office block. Or, they could be individual members of one large company.

A courier is provided access to a locker. This allows them brief access to place a parcel inside. The locker is then locked, and can only be unlocked with a key provided to the individual owner of the locker.

Thanks to this system, all manner of couriers can drop parcels off in parcel lockers. This includes online retailers as well as other businesses, or family members.

Now that you know what exactly parcel lockers are, let’s take a look at why this is important.

Secure and Direct Parcel Delivery

First and foremost, a major reason why you need a parcel locker is due to the security it offers.

Thanks to the individualized security system, a locker can never be accessed by anyone who isn’t involved in the transaction. Only a reliable courier and the recipient of the parcel will be able to open the locker.

This is considerably more secure than keeping all parcels in a storage area or common area where anyone can wander in. It also makes the process of receiving parcels so much easier, as there’s no middle man involved.

The middle man is the locker itself! This frees up receptionist staff from having to sort through parcels for employees or residents. All that’s required is that the recipient goes to the locker and uses their key to retrieve their parcel.

Because of how simple this is, it also means that a parcel doesn’t have to be collected right away. It will be kept securely within the parcel locker until collection time.

More Convenient for the Building Owner and Staff

This ease of collection and lack of effort by building staff are just a couple of ways in which parcel lockers are a more convenient solution. But there are so many more.

It allows individual tenants or office staff to take control of their parcel delivery. They can check their boxes each day for parcels, which saves on communication time between staff when a parcel arrives.

This means that the whole process is time-saving for employees and keeps them from getting distracted at work. It also streamlines the process of mail collection in large residential properties, meaning as the building owner you save on labor costs for having a designated mail sorter.

Varied Size Options

With a parcel locker, they don’t all come with small-envelope-sized openings for letters. No, there are several different options with different sized compartments.

This is perfect to designate certain parts of a locker to certain staff members. You could give each employee a letter-shaped compartment, then designate larger parcel-sized compartments for entire department deliveries.

The ability to purchase the right locker with the right size compartments for you means you’ll never have to worry about a parcel not fitting again.

They Can Be Either Indoors or Outdoors

This is one trait of a parcel locker that can save on space in your foyer. Gone are the days when parcel collection had to be handled indoors at all times.

Since parcel lockers are so secure, there’s no danger to them being installed outside a property, whether commercial or residential. This allows for a great deal of personalization when it comes to installing your own parcel locker.

You could install it into a wall inside your property, or have it free-standing in the front of the building. Regardless of where it’s placed, couriers and recipients will be able to access it safely and securely.

They Adhere to USPS Requirements

What exactly are USPS requirements, you ask? We covered it in detail in one of our previous posts.

Essentially, these are the regulations that a postbox or parcel locker must follow to be suitable to receive mail. It concerns dimensions, location, and ID information.

It’s something that few think about when installing their mailbox, but it makes a huge difference. Most postage lockers bought from reliable suppliers meet these strict USPS requirements.

This means that USPS couriers can deliver parcels to these lockers, and also that different individuals and companies can send parcels to your parcel locker.

Where Can I Find a Postal Locker?

To sum it up, what are parcel lockers and why are they important? Whether for business or residential use, parcel lockers are a safe and convenient way to receive mail.

We bet you’re now wondering where you can find a postal locker for your property.

Well, look no further as National Mailboxes has got you covered! We have postal lockers available for sale in varying sizes for either commercial or residential use. Plus, all our lockers meet strict USPS requirements.

Not only that, but most of our product lines come with free shipping, and we offer a free quote on our website. If you’re interested in finding out more, make sure you get a quote today.