Blue Dart opens 24/7 parcel facility; will expand to 10 metros

New Delhi: Blue Dart Thursday opened a round the clock parcel locker facility in Gurgaon with plans to expand to top 10 metros as the logistics services major aims to cash in on the explosive growth in the e-tailing market.

Global logistics giant DHL, which holds 75 percent stake in Blue Dart Express, was the first to launch this service in developed markets.

It was introduced in Germany in 2001 and at present has over 4 million active users with more than 2,750 parcel lockers. The concept has also been adopted in the US and other European markets, Blue Dart Express Head of Marketing Ketan Kulkarni told PTI.

With the Indian e-tailing industry projected to grow at 52 percent from 2014 to 2020, the sector has been witnessing phenomenal demand from across India. Parcel locker will allow recipients of parcels to collect their shipments from this facility 24-hours a day, the firm said in a statement.

When asked about the firm's plans for the facility, he said: "We will be expanding this in the near future (less than a year) to the top 10 metro cities in India including Delhi and the National Capital Region."

This mechanism will benefit e-tail customers who may not be present during regular delivery hours and can collect their shipments from the locker at any time as per convenience. The service will also be beneficial for those who travel often, especially during the festive season around the corner, he said.

While e-tailing offers customers the opportunity to shop round the clock, with parcel locker, Blue Dart will offer the convenience of 24X7 days delivery mechanism, Kulkarni added.

Blue Dart Express Ltd Managing Director Anil Khanna noted that advent of e-tailing in times when many customers are away from home for longer part of the day created the need for a service like the parcel locker facility.

"Globally, this service has been a success. I am confident our customers in India will benefit tremendously from such a mechanism that allows them the convenience of collecting their parcels from a safe facility anytime during the day," he said.

Blue Dart offers delivery of consignments to over 34,720 locations in India. As part of the Deutsche Post DHL Group, it accesses the express and logistics network worldwide, covering over 220 countries and territories offering a range of services.