Japanese ecommerce giant Rakuten has teamed up with Japan Post to launch a new click-and-collect service across the country.
The new service, which is set to launch in April, will offer customers the option of picking up items purchased online from lockers at their own convenience.
Rakuten shoppers will be able to have their goods delivered to lockers at around 30 of the postal service’s locations across Japan’s capital city, Tokyo.
If the limited launch is a success, the scheme could be rolled out to dozens more locations around Japan, potentially at train stations and universities.
The service will be offered for the same fee as a home delivery, but will only apply to Japan Post’s Yu-Pack parcel delivery system.
Packages will be stored in the lockers for up to three days, with customers given unique passwords to open them.
It is hoped the move will increase the use of Yu-Pack parcels and cut costs by reducing the number of missed deliveries, while Rakuten is aiming to better compete with US rival Amazon.
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