MediaMarktSaturn has partnered with tech startup Smartmile to test a fully automated, carrier-independent parcel station in Ingolstadt, Germany.
Smartmile's fully automated station can store orders from any operator and allows customers to collect them anytime, seven days a week. “ Innovations are extremely important to our business. That's why we are always launching pilot projects with our Retailtech Hub startups ,” says Martin Wild, Director of Innovation at MediaMarktSaturn. “ I am pleased that, with Smartmile, for the first time, we have been able to implement a pilot project on the campus in Ingolstadt. This project allows us to test new technologies, which can then be tested by the customer .”
In addition to storing orders, the station will also help the adjacent Media Markt store to further expand its range of services. In the future, customers will be able to leave a broken smartphone at this station early in the morning, before the store opens, and collect it after it has been repaired after 20 pm.
Steffen Luippold, one of the managers at Smartmile, states that “ the system can be easily opened to other retailers in Ingolstadt. This means that local retailers can offer their customers an additional service .”
