Delivery to a service point or parcel locker will become a standard option alongside home delivery, according to PostNL. The company expects the Dutch out-of-home share to rise from around 13% today to approximately 40% of all parcels by 2031. This is a PostNL forecast, not an independent market projection.
PostNL plans to expand its network to roughly 7,500 parcel lockers by 2031. Its ambition is for almost everyone in the Netherlands to be able to reach a locker within about seven minutes. The company will invest around €50 million extra in 2027 and 2028, in addition to investments already planned.
The change involves more than installing lockers. PostNL wants to connect delivery choice at checkout with the digital customer journey, live capacity and logistics operations. Data and artificial intelligence should align demand and available space more closely. The company is also developing a dedicated network for sorting and transporting out-of-home parcels.
For online retailers, this turns the checkout into an operational control point. If a customer selects a locker that is nearly full, a clear alternative needs to be available in time. The selected location must then flow to the warehouse management system and carrier without manual re-entry. The same applies to returns through a service point or locker.
An additional delivery option only adds value when the entire chain works. Check how the platform stores addresses and location identifiers, how the fulfilment partner creates labels and which notifications the customer receives. Measure adoption, failed diversions and return lead times as well. This shows whether the new option actually improves convenience.