New parcel delivery ecosystem Lockars has announced its launch in the UK, allowing carriers, retailers and customers to use the open network of lockers for collection, delivery and shipment from multiple locations installed across the country.
Lockars will begin services in London with the roll out of 1,000 lockers this year, and plans to install 10,000 in the capital and 25,000 in total across the UK. According to Lockars, its solar-paneled locker network will facilitate the consolidation of last-mile deliveries and will enable 14,500 delivery vans to be removed from UK streets – 6,000 in London alone – reducing CO2 particulates by 70%, compared to home deliveries.
Juan Sotolongo, CEO of Lockars, commented, “2021 is the time to innovate the way we deliver and receive parcels. With both the significant increase in home-based delivery and the need to reduce carbon emissions in cities, a new ecosystem is required. Our story started 20 years ago from working within the industry and studying the best approach which will benefit consumers, retailers and carriers. We anticipated the exponential growth in B2C parcel delivery that we are seeing today, but there were infrastructure problems in addressing the last-mile deliveries, that being the cost of building a dense locker network is prohibitive for any single carrier. By building an open network, all parties can benefit from this infrastructure.
“Lockars was born to address the many issues that carriers, consumers, city planners and retailers now face, such as unanswered doors, heavy traffic and failed journeys. We have reengineered parcel delivery, examining every detail to develop a system that benefits all parties. We are building urban infrastructures to solve a growing problem and a new world of home deliveries.”
The company plans to expand its network into Europe starting in 2023 and will be supporting organizations in the sustainability sector via its Lockars Green Program.