The unplanned £22.90: What parcel locker visits are really worth to your stores

A customer pulls into a retail park to collect a parcel. They aren’t planning to shop. Five minutes later, they’ve picked up a few groceries, a birthday card and a coffee, spending £22.90 they never intended to.

On its own, that’s an everyday shopping trip. Multiply it across millions of parcel locker visits every year and it points to something bigger about modern retail.

For years, parcel lockers have been viewed as a convenience feature – a practical way for consumers to collect or return online orders. But our latest research suggests they’re becoming more – a consistent driver of footfall, incremental spend and customer loyalty. 

At a time when retailers are investing heavily in loyalty programmes, store experiences and digital engagement to attract shoppers, parcel lockers are quietly delivering results that many traditional footfall initiatives struggle to match.

The numbers that changed how we think about lockers

We wanted to answer a straightforward question: what commercial impact does hosting a parcel locker actually have for retailers? We surveyed 2,000 UK consumers who had sent or received a parcel within the previous three months to understand how locker usage influences shopping behaviour.

The results were striking. Almost eight in 10 (78%) locker users told us they make a purchase when visiting a locker location. More than half of those purchases are completely unplanned.

Taken together, those additional purchases generate an average basket value of £22.90 per locker visit. Even in supermarkets, where many shoppers already have a destination in mind, unplanned spending averages £14.30.

That’s a significant commercial opportunity from a customer who may never have entered the store otherwise.

Footfall that changes behaviour, not just counts it

Generating visits has always been one of retail’s biggest challenges. The real prize, however, is becoming part of a customer’s routine. This is where parcel lockers appear to have an even greater impact.

Nearly two-thirds (64%) of locker users say they visit retail locations more frequently because there’s a parcel locker on site. At shopping centres, that rises to 73%, while almost 70% of forecourt users report visiting more often. These aren’t one-off trips. They’re repeat journeys that become embedded in everyday life.

Collecting a parcel becomes part of the weekly shop. A quick return turns into picking up dinner on the way home. Over time, those small visits create additional shopping opportunities that retailers would otherwise never have captured.

The competitive advantage retailers can’t ignore

The findings also highlight the cost of not offering locker facilities. 

Nearly four in five (79%) locker users say they would switch to another location if parcel lockers were no longer available. Among convenience store customers, that figure rises to 83%, while an overwhelming 91% of shopping centre users say they would choose an alternative destination. 

That’s more than customer preference; it’s evidence that parcel lockers are increasingly influencing where people decide to shop. The trend is particularly pronounced among younger and higher-income consumers, who shop online more frequently and therefore use parcel lockers more regularly. For retailers targeting these audiences, lockers are becoming an increasingly important part of the customer journey.

A simple addition with measurable returns

Perhaps one of the most compelling aspects of parcel lockers is how little they ask of retailers operationally.

Unlike many customer services, lockers require no staff resource, minimal maintenance and no disruption to existing store operations. Once installed, they simply become another reason for customers to visit. 

As Bay Bashir, who operates a convenience store in Middlesbrough, puts it: “It just runs itself. They make me money.”

Scale matters too. InPost Lockers are already the preferred choice by 62% of out-of-home delivery users, meaning retailers who host a locker become visible to millions of consumers actively choosing collection locations.

Rethinking what a locker really is

Retailers have traditionally viewed parcel lockers as delivery infrastructure. The evidence suggests it’s time to think about them differently.

They’re creating additional footfall and converting those visits into unplanned spending. And perhaps most importantly, they’re encouraging customers to return again and again, becoming part of everyday shopping habits in a way that few retail initiatives achieve.

In an increasingly competitive retail landscape, that’s not simply a convenience feature, it’s a commercial advantage.

To read the full report visit inpost.co.uk/business/locker-reportrw

References

^{Consumer Research, July 2025. Base: n=2018 consumers who have sent or received a parcel in the last three months. Methodology: Survey hosted by Yonder Data Solutions.}