Bybox works with local council to trial collection lockers in high street locations
Delivery company ByBox is trialling a project where its collection lockers are installed in high street locations.
Working with the Choose Abingdon Partnership and the Vale of White Horse District Council, Bybox has installed a bank of lockers in the middle of Abingdon’s historic market town centre to encourage local residents to collect their online purchases from a high street location.
The scheme also looks to persuade online shoppers to stay and visit local shops while in the area by providing Abingdon-specific incentives such as discounts on coffee from nearby cafes.
The Vale of White Horse District Council has now extended the scheme to the towns of Farringdon, Wantage and Botley.
Stuart Miller, co-founder and CEO of ByBox, said: “We feel strongly that the growth of online retail needn’t be at the expense of the smaller retailer. Not only does this scheme encourage both investment in the local High Street as well as safe and secure access to online purchases, it provides online retailers with access to a delivery footprint in a town where they may not otherwise be able to access or afford the retail space. This pilot is all about encouraging online retail and High Street stores – the lifeblood of small towns – to work together in harmony.”
Elaine Ware, cabinet member for Economy, Leisure and Property at Vale of White Horse District Council added: “The success of these lockers shows that town High Streets don’t have to see online shopping as a threat, but as an opportunity. By developing this pilot scheme to include more lockers, more local promotions and even using the locker screens as an information device about the town and region, it provides a neat solution to encouraging people into and to stay and browse around the town centres.”
