B2C Europe, the cross border specialist, and Parcer have partnered to test a new delivery concept that combines the use of Parcer’s internet connected parcel boxes as well as drones.

The idea involves using a drone to deliver parcels to Parcer boxes that are located at a delivery address. Once the drone arrives at the drop-off point it would use RFID technology to open the Parcer box. The box would alert the customer that the delivery has taken place after detecting the weight of the parcel.

This concept is effectively an automated supply chain. Delivery personnel aren’t required to transport the parcel to the home address or to deposit it into the Parcer box. Nor does the customer need to be at home to receive the parcel.

This system can be used for returns using the same internet application to arrange a collection. For the system to work however, the boxes need to be in a place that is accessible by air such as a back garden or balcony.

Up to now, Parcer already has a number of its delivery boxes in operation in the Netherlands – so if the drone concept were to be rolled out commercially this would probably be the location.

Commenting on the drone and box delivery combination, Rijk van Meekeren, CEO of B2C Europe, said: “B2C has always thrived on innovation. We were among the first companies to offer online shoppers a wide choice of collection and returns options for cross-border deliveries and we are constantly on the lookout for new ideas and new technologies.”

Hans van Nikkelen Kuijper, founder of Parcer, added: “Thousands of parcels are returned every day because of delivery failures, and we are working with B2C to show that this can be a thing of the past.

“The technology now exists to make secure home delivery a reality and the use of drones will open up a whole range of possibilities, from night-time deliveries to a better service for remote areas. We all know how frustrating it is to receive a message saying ‘sorry we missed you’, which is why so many people are already using our boxes here in the Netherlands, and why we’re looking at UK and German expansion in the coming months.”