Mondial Relay is a distribution company for shipments to individuals that has been operating in our country for more than 20 years. One of its most relevant evolutions happened in 2010, when it launched a new product directly aimed at individuals: sending packages from Punto Pack.
From that moment until today, Mondial Relay has grown to have an extensive network in 16 European countries managing 120 million shipments, has more than 1,000 collaborators and has more than 3,000 Punto Pack collection and delivery points distributed throughout Spainwhich seek to respond to the problem of collecting and making shipments between individuals.
To learn a little more about this network of convenience points and what role they play in optimizing logistics for eCommerce, we have spoken with Carine Buadescountry manager of Mondial Relay in Spain.
Why is it necessary to optimize routes?
It is necessary for many reasons, starting with reasons of sustainability. Delivery methods such as convenience points -in our case, called Punto Pack- and smart lockers contribute significantly to this optimization of routes, since carrier journeys are reduced and, therefore, CO2 emissions. In this way, the planning of collection and delivery routes is improved, and in the case of our convenience points we even allow the simultaneous delivery of several dozen packages at the same point, which further contributes to the optimization of routes since the reduction of emissions.
Of course, optimize routes too helps deliveries to be faster, and out-of-home deliveries put an end to failed deliveries, which are all too common for home deliveries when the recipient is not at home, causing many unnecessary trips by carriers.
Route optimization using these methods also provides greater comfort and flexibility to users, who have many more options to pick up and send their packages.
It is also important to highlight the logistics concept of “last mile”, which refers to management during the final stretch of the delivery process. Convenience points are very useful for facilitate logistics movements in this last stage, which is key for the process to end up being satisfactory, not only for the recipient but also for the other parties. A fact: by choosing delivery at a convenience point instead of at home, CO2 emissions are 20% lower in the last mile stage.
What time and money savings does this optimization imply?
The savings are very considerable, both in time and money. As we have explained before, optimize routes implies that carrier journeys are shorter and fewer in numberand this considerably reduces both the amount of time that must be spent on deliveries and the resources allocated to it: mainly fuel, but also the number of carriers and vehicles that must be operational at the same time.
In addition, by grouping the parcel at the same point, it also decrease shipping price for the consumer, and can even be free in many cases. These are all advantages for consumers, who also have greater flexibility to pick up their packages whenever they want, without having to wait at home for them to arrive.
For all these reasons, the optimization achieved with convenience points is highly beneficial for all parties: stores, carriers and consumers. These last remain very satisfied with experience, and in our case the proof is that Mondial Relay’s net promoter score (a tool that measures customer loyalty) is 83.33%, a very high figure.
Ultimately, concentrating routes on specific locations, such as convenience points and smart lockers, is the key to developing this optimization and save a lot of time and money for all parties involved, compared to home deliveries.
How can this optimization process be adapted to different types of environment (cities vs. towns, orography, historic centres, pedestrian areas…)?
It is important to develop the optimization process in all areas, but it is obviously easier to do it in large cities, where there is more logistics movement, more users and more establishments that can serve as convenience points. At Mondial Relay we are making an effort to reach more and more corners of Spain, and we already have a network of convenience points of more than 3,000 Pack Points that we believe are contributing a lot to the optimization of carrier routes.
One of our plans to offer solutions for deliveries outside the home in more rural and isolated areas goes through the smart lockers. We have recently joined InPost, which is a large company specializing in this type of lockers. And thanks to this, we are going to be able to deploy a network of smart lockers that will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and that will complement our Punto Pack, allowing us to offer this type of solution in environments that until now were less accessible.
What role do convenience points play in this process?
Convenience points represent the best tool that exists to optimize logistics routes. As we mentioned before, the concentration of packages in this type of location is of great help for this optimization, especially if we compare it with the usual home deliveries, which cause deliveries to be more dispersed and often do not even arrive at your location. first attempt.
In addition, the convenience points are also prepared to deal more adequately with dates in which there are a large number of shipments, such as the and Christmas, which can otherwise lead to collapses and delays.
Mondial Relay already has more than 3,000 convenience points (Punto Pack) in Spain, located in nearby establishments such as stationery stores, flower shops, computer stores, tobacconists and a long etcetera. We already have Punto Pack in all Spanish towns with more than 5,000 inhabitants, as a sign of our commitment to meeting the needs of both users and brands.
In addition to optimizing logistics routes, this system also contributes to bring consumers closer to this type of business, that acquire a greater visibility before the neighbors, with which the local business is promoted.
What role does sustainability play in this process?
Sustainability is the engine that guides all our operations, and something that we always take into account in our day to day. We are part of the platform Companies for Sustainable Mobility, from which we have contributed to promoting initiatives such as the new “Sustainable Delivery” seal and the signing of the Pact for Sustainable Mobility. Among our main objectives is to be carbon neutral by 2030.
It should be noted that the convenience point system contributes to a more sustainable eCommerce. 86% of users have a Pack Point less than 5 km from their home, and 58% less than 1 km. Thanks to the proximity of the convenience points, we reach another very noteworthy point: 63% of the users of this system use non-polluting means to collect their packages, the vast majority on foot but also by bicycle.
One of the commitments that we have promoted and signed consists of prioritize transport providers that use vehicles with less environmental impact, and that report the carbon footprint or even offset it. If we add to this the aforementioned fuel savings by using the convenience points, we can say that the logistics processes derived from our Punto Pack network are clearly aimed at achieving the greatest possible sustainability and respecting the environment as much as possible.
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