Customers can combine their shopping with the collection, dispatch or return of parcels - time-saving and free of charge. MYFLEXBOX smart lockers are also ideal as contactless handover points for goods from local retailers. They thus ensure more sustainability and flexibility in the shopping experience because they avoid unnecessary journeys.
Salzburg AG has been developing into a technology company for several years and is not only opening up new business areas and markets, but also implementing innovative projects. The digital locker solution MYFLEXBOX is one of them. The corporate start-up is a network of smart pick-up stations that impresses with a variety of advantages for parcel service providers such as DPD, e-commerce providers, local retailers and private individuals. Parcels can be conveniently deposited in the smart lockers without contact. Local retailers, in turn, can use them as a service marketplace for the contactless transfer of goods - keyword Click & Collect. MYFLEXBOX has almost 5,000 lockers at its smart pick-up stations, which are located in Vienna, Linz, Wels, Graz, Salzburg and Klagenfurt.
Saving unnecessary journeys
The concept is also particularly interesting for the grocery trade. BILLA therefore relies on the Salzburg company. Since the beginning of April, the BILLA PLUS stores at Favoritenstraße 241 (1100 Vienna), Laxenburger Straße 66 (1100 Vienna), Swatoschgasse 3 (1110 Vienna), Bergmillergasse 7 (1140 Vienna), Jedleseerstraße 51A (1210 Vienna), Sterngasse 6 (1230 Vienna), Speisinger Straße 135 (1230 Vienna) and Breitenfurter Straße 263 (1230 Vienna) as well as in Linz at Poschacherstraße 34 and in Graz at Gaswerkstraße 2 each have these small micro logistics hubs. "The aim of this new service is to save all users time, stress and unnecessary journeys and, of course, to have a positive impact on the CO₂ balance. With MYFLEXBOX we are creating an infrastructure for flexible and contactless transfers of all kinds," explains Leonhard Schitter, CEO of Salzburg AG. In the medium run, the company aims to operate the largest provider-independent smart locker network in Austria with MYFLEXBOX.
Sustainably more quality of life
However, the smart service is not only interesting because of the increase in online trade. The possibility to pick up parcels before or after shopping reduces unnecessary trips and makes everyday life easier. This in turn increases customer satisfaction and improves the carbon footprint of entire living spaces, because not only parcel service providers can use MYFLEXBOX's open system solution. Of particular interest to local traders, for example, is the possibility of indirect exchange of goods: they can use the smart lockers to deposit their goods - securely and contact-free. MYFLEXBOX is therefore an important component of sustainable smart city strategies and the technology leader on the market. Reasons that were also decisive for BILLA: "We like to offer our customers at BILLA additional services such as parcel service. We cover this throughout Austria at BILLA together with DPD and now, with MYFLEXBOX, we have a forward-looking solution that we want to use and further expand at BILLA PLUS locations," says Harald Mießner, BILLA CEO.
Flexible parcel dispatch and reception
In addition to its own open software, MYFLEXBOX also takes care of the installation and construction of the smart lockers, ensures ongoing operation, and provides support and system maintenance. The fact that the smart lockers are located at easily accessible BILLA stores also has many advantages for parcel service providers such as DPD: "Parcel stations and lockers have become an essential part of our pick-up network, which comprises a total of 1,800 locations. Within the framework of our cooperation with BILLA PLUS and MYFLEXBOX we offer our parcel customers an additional, flexible and convenient alternative for receiving and shipping parcels," says Rainer Schwarz, Managing Director of DPD Austria.
Contactless, sustainable delivery options like those offered by MYFLEXBOX will play an increasingly important role in smart cities in the coming years. The cooperation between BILLA and the Salzburg-based start-up already shows how smart, climate-sensitive solutions enhance the quality of life.
