UK shopping center and retail park operator NewRiver has partnered with Royal Mail to roll out parcel lockers at more than 60 sites across the UK.

The Royal Mail lockers will be available within the next six months, with the first locations launched at two shopping centers in Essex – Grays Shopping Centre in Grays, Thurrock, and Newlands Shopping Centre in Witham.

 The new lockers will initially offer a drop-off service for returning goods and for the growing number of people sending parcels. Label printing will also be available at the lockers, meaning customers simply need to pay for postage online and print the label by scanning a QR code at the locker. The lockers will also offer collection soon.

Anna Malley, director of out-of-home at Royal Mail, confirmed, “Our customers are sending and receiving more and more parcels, and our mission is to make it as convenient as possible by giving them choices that suit them.

“NewRiver’s shopping centers and retail parks are exactly the kinds of busy locations that many of our customers will already be visiting, making it easy for them to fit in dropping off their parcels while they are there. The lockers are simple to use, with best-in-class technology that can print postage labels, which is really important for many people.”

Allan Lockhart, CEO of NewRiver, added, “This important partnership represents a market-first portfolio rollout for us both, leveraging the scale and size of our expansive portfolio. The Royal Mail lockers are a great fit for our portfolio of UK-wide retail assets that sit in the heart of their local communities, providing a convenient service for our shoppers and creating additional footfall and customer spend at our assets, while supporting Royal Mail’s expansion of this new concept.

“We know from our portfolio data that omnichannel retail operators are leading the way, and providing this additional service for our shoppers ensures that our assets help fulfill the needs for both our shoppers and our retailers, providing complementary services and helping to support the growth of thriving communities.”