Pick-up point: A more flexible, sustainable logistics model

Pick-up points have become a cornerstone of modern distribution, particularly as ecommerce, omnichannel retail, and new customer expectations reshape delivery practices. By allowing shoppers to collect their orders from strategic locations rather than at home, this model reduces last-mile complexity while adding flexibility for both businesses and end users.

In this post, we explain what pick-up points are, how they’ve evolved, the main types used today, and the logistical benefits they bring. We also look at how this service is organized within the warehouse and which factors matter most for a successful rollout.

What is a pick-up point? Context and evolution

A pick-up point is a physical location where customers can collect their orders and, in some cases, return them. This site may be a partner store, a post office, an automated parcel locker, or even an urban warehouse. Unlike home delivery, the recipient chooses when to retrieve the package, either during set opening hours or independently via smart lockers.

Pick-up points emerged as a response to last-mile challenges such as failed deliveries, high costs, urban congestion, and growing demand for speed and convenience. With the rise of ecommerce, these issues have intensified, encouraging more adaptable and sustainable delivery options. According to McKinsey, out-of-home delivery — which involves pick-up points and lockers — is gaining traction in cities because it enables shipment consolidation, improves operational efficiency, and offers consumers greater convenience.

Types of pick-up points

The various pick-up point formats address different logistical needs, service levels, and customer profiles. Each supports a specific operating model within a broader distribution strategy.

Curbside pickup

With curbside pickup, shoppers place an online order and retrieve it from the retailer’s brick-and-mortar store. Logistically, this connects digital channels with physical points of sale, leveraging in-store inventory or consolidating orders from the warehouse.

This option lowers shipping costs, increases store traffic, and supports omnichannel strategies by turning retail outlets into both sales and fulfillment nodes.

Automated parcel lockers

Automated parcel lockers are installed in high-traffic areas such as transit hubs, parking facilities, shopping centers, and residential complexes. Customers receive a code and instructions to access the assigned compartment and retrieve their package.

From a logistics perspective, parcel lockers enable delivery consolidation, limit failed attempts, and extend pick-up availability. These advantages improve the customer experience without adding distribution complexity. Parcel lockers are tremendously useful in dense urban settings and last-mile strategies.

Postal offices and couriers

Post office and private courier networks provide well-established pick-up infrastructures with broad geographic coverage, including low-density regions.

For shippers and logistics providers, this model leverages existing facilities for final delivery and supports standardized processes without building a proprietary network.

Partner stores

Partner stores are neighborhood shops and independent establishments that act as pick-up points for one or more logistics service providers. This model expands delivery coverage without requiring direct infrastructure investment.

Beyond improving proximity to customers, partner stores streamline urban distribution. They also encourage more sustainable practices by consolidating deliveries and reducing individual trips.

Benefits of pick-up points for businesses

For companies and logistics providers, pick-up points deliver operational, financial, and strategic advantages:

• Lower last-mile costs. Consolidating shipments at shared locations avoids individual home deliveries, simplifies transportation operations, and reduces the cost per parcel.
• Fewer failed deliveries. Defined hours or permanent access minimizes second attempts, returns, and related issues.
• More efficient routing and capillary distribution. Predictable drop-off points streamline route planning, load optimization, and urban distribution, including delivery frequency and travel distances.
• Service scalability. Businesses can expand coverage and take on demand peaks without proportional growth in fleets, staff, or facilities.
• Improved sustainability. Fewer trips, reduced urban congestion, and lower CO₂ emissions support greener distribution models.

Benefits of pick-up points for customers

From the end-user perspective, pick-up points enhance the delivery experience:

• Schedule flexibility. Customers can collect their orders when it’s convenient for them, either during the pick-up point location’s hours or, for some lockers, 24/7.
• Greater delivery control. Choosing a pick-up point avoids the need to be home at the delivery time and reduces the uncertainty associated with traditional shipping.
• Fewer missed attempts and less unnecessary waiting. Packages remain available until collected, avoiding missed deliveries, notifications, and rescheduling.
• Enhanced security and privacy. Pick-up points reduce the risk of loss, theft, or misdelivery, especially in urban settings.
• Everyday convenience. Many pick-up points sit along regular routes or inside regularly visited stores, making it convenient for shoppers to retrieve their parcels while running other errands.
• Better omnichannel experience. Pick-up options integrate smoothly into omnichannel journeys, offering customers more delivery options and reinforcing service quality.

How pick-up points work from a logistics perspective

In the warehouse, orders destined for pick-up points are processed and consolidated alongside other shipments, following standard workflows designed to streamline time and resource use. A warehouse management system (WMS) organizes picking, groups orders by destination, and coordinates shipping with the distribution network.

One defining feature of this model is flexibility in allocating pick-up points. These locations may be selected during various phases of the logistics process — picking, consolidation, or even while the order is in transit — depending on network availability or customer changes. When destinations are modified, the system updates order data and generates a new shipping label without disrupting operations.

Once delivered, the package is registered at the pick-up point and made available for collection. The customer receives a notification with the pickup window. For the business, this model concentrates deliveries, reduces last-mile issues, and improves transportation efficiency and tracking.

Implementing a pick-up point service

Deploying a pick-up point service requires close coordination between information systems — ERP, WMS, TMS, and ecommerce platforms — along with warehouses and distribution partners. At the logistics level, a WMS plays a central role by supporting omnichannel orders, ensuring shipment traceability, and coordinating picking and dispatch.

WMS solutions such as Interlake Mecalux’s Easy WMS centralize these processes through dedicated modules. Multi-Carrier Shipping Software, for instance, facilitates integration with transportation networks and delivery platforms. These integrations enable organizations to exchange destination data, service levels, and lead times while coordinating the labeling and shipping of orders destined for pick-up locations. Meanwhile, connecting with systems like Easy DOM allows companies to define logistics rules by destination within a cohesive omnichannel framework. For example, they can prioritize certain pick-up points, consolidate orders with the same destination, and apply different conditions by customer type.

Operationally, pick-up points must be correctly registered in the system with accurate details on hours, capacity, and handling rules. For partner stores, onboarding is typically straightforward and limited to basic requirements related to space, accessibility, and customer service.

Pick-up points: A pillar of omnichannel logistics

Pick-up points have become a fundamental part of last-mile logistics, particularly as ecommerce and urban distribution continue to grow. Their integration into logistics networks and omnichannel models reflects a shift in how final delivery is conceived, aligning with modern consumption patterns. For companies and logistics providers, this model represents a step toward more adaptable, sustainable, and customer-oriented supply chains.