The upward trend of eCommerce
With the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus, more and more people have turned to online commerce for obvious reasons. And this shift of perspective will not be altered by the end of the crisis. Most of those who used to shop online, plus those who have now “caught its taste”, said they most likely buy online either more (60%) or at least at the same level (33%) as before the pandemic. Those who now order online are looking for new ways of shipping products that are safe, convenient and especially do not involve human contact. This sudden change in consumer behavior has rapidly accelerated the development and implementation of various eCommerce services tailored to current market needs.
It should be noted here that while online orders have reached unprecedented levels during this period, the delivery of ordered products is a challenge for both merchants and courier companies. And, if the urban population is somewhat favored in this regard, having multiple options to take possession of the ordered products, the same cannot be said about those in rural areas or those living in small towns, delivery options here being extremely limited.
Challenges of deliveries in rural areas
Delivery to Poșta Panduri Pachetomats or other smart locker networks was becoming increasingly popular even before the crisis, but during this period it actually exploded. The inhabitants of the big cities take full advantage of Pachetomats, where they have them at hand. But what happens in low-density localities? They cannot benefit from Pachetomats and the advantages they offer, the nearest Pachetomat being perhaps tens of kilometers apart from their home. A drive to the nearest Pachetomat, the request of a neighbor or friend who run some errands in the area nearby, or any other way to take possession of the packages stored in the Pachetomat, cancels virtually all its benefits: speed, efficiency, cost and lack of human interaction .
Poșta Panduri Proposal – A multifunctional Smart City Package for villages, communes or small towns
We believe that not only the inhabitants of urban areas must benefit from the latest innovations in the field of technology, but also the rural environment deserves our special attention. Thus, our proposal for villages, communes or small towns is the Smart City Pachetomat, a multifunctional concept that can be located or can replace any station of public transport in rural areas.
A Smart City Pachetomat combines the advantages of a smart locker delivery point, with the protection it offers to those waiting for a means of public transport. Specifically, a Smart City Pachetomat is a modular mobile construction type container, with a roof with solar panels, which has a closed enclosure for the delivery or commercial services and an open enclosure for those waiting for the bus, minibus or other vehicles intended for passenger transport.
The closed enclosure has a controlled atmosphere, so heat-sensitive products can be delivered here. This includes:
- Poșta Panduri Pachetomat, where customers can pick up their orders online
- ATM for financial operation
- Automatic soft drinks vending machine
Through this concept, Click&Collect, Plati.online and Poșta Panduri help small communities, providing them with a modern means, a state-of-the-art innovation in the field of deliveries, to complement the process of digitizing online orders.
Because from now on, online commerce, through both its components, online ordering and delivery, is no longer just a luxury but a necessity!
