UPS Pilot: Easy Package Pickup Lands in the UK

Position Imaging’s announced partnership with The Timpson Group, a UK and Irish service retailer, makes self-service package pickup a reality for 2,100 UK locations. Position Imaging’s Vice President, Dan O’Connor, spoke about this exciting development that adds Position Imaging’s new AI-based iPickup Courier Access Point solution to The Timpson Group’s retail arsenal.

“One of the biggest friction points for a pickup and drop off operation is when a consumer shows up, and they have to wait to be served to get their package,” O’Connor said. “The beauty of the iPickup point is it allows the customer to self-serve. They don’t have to wait in line behind people buying Cokes, chips, and such; they can walk directly up to the iPickup point, scan their mobile barcode, or enter a pin, and our system will guide them to their packages using a laser to highlight the package. They select it, sign for it if needed, and are on their way. The whole process takes less than a minute.”

With increased online ordering and in-store pickup since the pandemic onset, a solution to ease the burdensome process of package pickup and drop-off pickup couldn’t come at a better time. “It fits a need for the retailer participating in the PUDO network,” O’Connor said. “This is a way for them to generate extra foot traffic in their store for people who are likely to buy something else when they’re there and to do that continuously without taking the staff away from their core duties. It’s a win-win for consumers and the retailers.”

Seeing is believing. O’Connor said when businesses watch the videos on the iPickup system, they understand how frictionless the system is. Precision Imaging works with UPS, which pays the bill for each package drop-off and pickup, so there are no additional charges to any business that offers the service.