In just a few years, the automated parcel lockers outside supermarkets, petrol stations and on neighbourhood corners have become part of everyday life in Greece. Customers collect parcels whenever they like, without waiting at home for the courier. For many e-shops, locker delivery has gone from "nice to have" to something shoppers check for before they order.
Here is what that means for you.
The main options in Greece
The landscape moves fast, but the main categories are:
- Independent locker networks, the best known being BOX NOW, which runs purely on automated lockers across the country.
- Courier lockers and pickup points: ACS, ELTA Courier, Geniki Taxydromiki and Speedex all have branches, partner shops or their own lockers.
- Marketplace networks, such as Skroutz Point for orders placed through Skroutz.
Terms, prices and coverage change often, so check each network's current details for the areas you ship to.
Why customers like them
- Flexibility: collect whenever it suits, often around the clock.
- No missed deliveries: no more "we couldn't find you, come to the depot".
- Privacy: some people do not want parcels arriving at work or at home.
- Often cheaper shipping, if you pass the saving on.
Lockers appeal especially to younger shoppers, city dwellers and people who spend long hours away from home.
What the shop gains
- Lower cost per parcel in many cases, since the courier drops many parcels at one point.
- Fewer failed deliveries and fewer parcels coming back.
- Happier customers, which shows in your reviews.
- Easy returns, if the network supports sending returns from a locker.
- An extra pricing lever: you can set a lower free-shipping threshold for lockers than for home delivery.
The limits
Lockers do not suit everything:
- Size and weight. Compartments have fixed dimensions. Furniture, large appliances and bulky parcels will not fit.
- Cash on delivery. Some networks support payment at pickup by card or other means, others do not. Check what applies, because it affects which payment methods should appear when a customer chooses a locker.
- Coverage. Small villages and islands may not have a locker nearby.
- Sensitive products. Food that needs refrigeration or heat-sensitive items should not sit in a metal locker in August.
- Collection window. Parcels stay in the locker for a limited time. If not collected, they go back.
Adding it properly at checkout
This is where we see most mistakes. The option exists, but it is awkward.
Locker selection with a map
Customers need to find their nearest locker easily: with a map, a postcode or address search, and an automatic suggestion based on the address they have already entered. A dropdown with hundreds of names is not a solution. Most networks provide a ready-made widget or plugin. Use it, but test it on mobile.
Clear price and timing
Show the options side by side, each with price and estimated delivery:
- Home delivery, with cost and timing.
- Locker pickup, with cost and timing.
If the locker is cheaper, say so. Many customers will pick it for that reason alone.
Correct contact details
The pickup code usually arrives by SMS or email. Make a valid mobile number mandatory for this option and validate its format.
Compatibility with your shipping rules
If the cart contains a product that will not fit in a locker, the option should be hidden, or shown with an explanation. The worst case is discovering it yourself after the order and having to phone the customer.
Confirmation and tracking
Include the chosen locker, with its address, in the confirmation email. Send tracking as soon as the voucher is created. Both cut down on "where is my parcel?" calls.
Operational points for you
- Create vouchers straight from your shop admin, so you are not copying details by hand.
- Packaging: pick box sizes that match the locker compartment sizes.
- Handover: pickup from your premises, or do you drop parcels at a point? That changes your routine.
- Returns: if the network supports returns through lockers, say so in your returns policy.
How to communicate it
Do not hide the option until checkout. Mention it on your shipping page, in the announcement bar ("Locker pickup from X €") and on product pages where it fits. A customer who knows upfront that they can collect from the locker round the corner has one less reason to hesitate.
When it is worth adding
If most of your parcels are small or medium and you ship mainly to urban areas, the answer is almost certainly yes. Start with one network, measure for two or three months what share of customers choose it and how it affects cost and failed deliveries, then decide whether to expand.
For the wider picture of shipping costs and free-shipping thresholds, see our shipping strategy guide.
Checklist
- Your products fit standard locker sizes
- Locker selection with map and search, tested on mobile
- Price and timing next to every shipping option
- Mandatory mobile number for notifications
- Automatic hiding for products that do not fit
- Correct handling of payment methods for locker delivery
- Vouchers from your admin
- Updated shipping and returns policy
The bottom line
Lockers are one of the simplest shipping upgrades a Greek e-shop can make: lower cost in many cases, flexibility for the customer, fewer failed deliveries. If you would like help integrating them properly into your shop, see our e-shop development service or get in touch.