Global location technology company what3words and DHL Parcel UK have announced a brand new element of their partnership – retail customers, whether small businesses or large ecommerce players, can now add a what3words field at checkout to enable shoppers to specify exactly where they want their deliveries to go.
Once entered at checkout, the what3words address is then passed on to DHL Parcel UK so its couriers can find and navigate to delivery destinations with ease, no matter how hard they might be to find.
“The latest stage of our partnership with what3words really extends the benefits to more customers and consumers,” said Peter Fuller, CEO, DHL Parcel UK.
“It gives shoppers the convenience of being able to specify their exact delivery location at the point of check-out and gives retailers even more confidence that their goods will be received on time, without complication. It’s a smart, innovative solution that allows us to improve the quality of the service we offer even further.”
In the UK, deliveries can be challenging. Addresses aren’t always accurate, street names are often duplicated, postcodes cover broad areas, and specific building entrances can be hard to find. And for new builds, it can take up to 6 months for the address to be registered. In fact, a quarter of people in the UK find that their full postal address doesn’t direct people, deliveries, or services exactly to their front door. Poor addressing can add difficulties for couriers too, and this is something what3words is perfectly positioned to solve.
what3words has divided the world into a grid of 3m x 3m squares and given each square a unique combination of three words: a what3words address. It’s an easy way to find, share and navigate to precise locations, anywhere in the world. For example the entrance to The Postal Museum, opposite London’s central mail centre, known as ‘The Mount’, can be found at ///ships.post.bets.
Chris Sheldrick, co-founder and CEO of what3words, added: “what3words is now being used at critical points throughout DHL Parcel UK’s delivery infrastructure. This means that everyone, from a customer purchasing an item at checkout, right through to the courier can benefit from the precision of a what3words address. It’s fantastic working with DHL Parcel UK – a true innovator in the space, adopting new technologies to maintain and evolve the world-renowned service that it provides.”
what3words is being used by ecommerce and logistics companies to deliver goods exactly where they’re needed. Fashion retailer Boohoo have added it to their website and app, while same day courier Absolutely; carrier management firm GFS; and delivery giant DPD have all announced partnerships in the past year.
