Understanding OOH Delivery

Out-of-home (OOH) delivery is reshaping last-mile logistics by delivering parcels to designated locations—such as parcel lockers or pick-up and drop-off (PUDO) points—instead of directly to consumers’ homes. This approach provides enhanced convenience for consumers, who can collect parcels on their schedule, while offering significant benefits for logistics operators, including consolidated deliveries, reduced costs, and a smaller environmental footprint.

For sectors that handle perishable goods, OOH delivery brings both exciting opportunities and unique challenges, particularly in maintaining strict temperature control.

 

The Role of Passive Temperature-Controlled Packaging in OOH Delivery

Addressing the Needs of OOH Operators

As OOH delivery models expand, businesses specializing in passive temperature-controlled packaging, like Tempack, are well-equipped to address critical needs:

✅ Preserving Temperature Integrity: Products such as food and life sciences goods must remain within specific temperature ranges to ensure quality and safety. Advanced solutions that maintain thermal stability during extended periods are essential.

✅ Extending Storage Durations: Consumers often delay picking up parcels, meaning packaging must keep items fresh or frozen for hours—or even days—while awaiting collection at OOH facilities.

 

Collaborative Innovations

To support the growing demand for OOH delivery, companies in temperature-controlled packaging can partner with logistics providers to deliver effective solutions, such as:

✔️ Optimised Passive Temperature-Controlled Solutions for Lockers and PUDO Points: Advanced passive packaging ensures that both automated parcel lockers and PUDO locations (such as retail stores or collection counters) maintain the integrity of temperature-sensitive goods. Passive packaging offers a cost-effective alternative while ensuring product quality and safety.

✔️ Sustainable Reusable Thermal Insulated Packaging: Providing eco-friendly packaging options that align with sustainability goals while guaranteeing product integrity.

 

The Rise of OOH Delivery in Europe

Adoption Trends and Market Insights

OOH delivery is growing rapidly across Europe, driven by its convenience and efficiency:

📌In 2022, 94% of Spanish retailers offered OOH delivery options (Statista).

📌 The European Courier, Express, and Parcel (CEP) market recorded over 19 billion parcel deliveries in 2023, with OOH delivery contributing significantly due to its 99% effectiveness rate (Locate2U).

 

Future Growth Projections

A 2024 McKinsey report predicts that OOH parcel volumes in key markets like, Germany, France, Poland, and Italy will grow by 1.3 billion parcels by 2027, compared to only 200 million additional parcels for home deliveries. This shift highlights the strong preference for OOH models.

Advantages of OOH Delivery for Temperature-Sensitive Goods

OOH delivery offers distinct benefits for businesses handling perishable goods:

✅ Consumer Convenience: Customers can collect their orders at a time that suits them.

✅ Operational Efficiency: Consolidated deliveries at PUDO points reduce last-mile complexities and costs.

✅ Environmental Benefits: Fewer individual home deliveries contribute to lower emissions, supporting sustainability goals.

 

Challenges and Solutions

While OOH delivery opens new opportunities, it also introduces challenges for temperature-sensitive logistics:

🚨 Temperature Variability: Ensuring products stay within the required temperature range during transit and storage.

⏳Extended Storage Times: Adapting packaging to protect perishable items over longer durations.

 

Strategies for Overcoming Challenges

✅ Advanced passive insulation technologies to improve thermal performance.

✅ Collaborating with OOH operators to implement processes that leverage passive solutions effectively across lockers and PUDO points.

✅ Training logistics providers in proper handling practices to maintain product quality.

 

Key Takeaways

✅ OOH delivery is revolutionising last-mile logistics by offering flexibility and cost efficiency.

✅ For temperature-sensitive goods, passive temperature-controlled packaging ensures product quality and safety.

✅ Collaboration with OOH service providers can drive innovations such as optimised lockers and PUDO points for passive solutions.

✅ The growing European OOH delivery market presents opportunities for businesses to innovate and expand.

✅ Companies prioritising sustainability and advanced packaging solutions will thrive in this evolving landscape.

 

Explore Our Solutions

At Tempack, we specialize in passive temperature-controlled reusable and single-use packaging designed to meet the challenges of modern logistics, including OOH delivery. Contact us to discover how our solutions can support your business in ensuring product integrity and customer satisfaction.

📖 Glossary: Lockers vs. PUDOs in OOH Deliveries

As OOH deliveries expand, understanding the key differences between lockers and PUDOs (Pick-Up & Drop-Off Points) is essential.

🔹 Lockers

Lockers are automated, self-service storage units where customers can pick up or return parcels at their convenience. They are usually located in high-traffic areas such as supermarkets, petrol stations, or residential buildings. Lockers are fully enclosed and assigned to individual customers, ensuring security and 24/7 accessibility.

Key Features:
✅ Secure, individual compartments
✅ PIN or QR code access
✅ Fully automated process
✅ Available 24/7 (depending on location)

 

🔹 PUDOs (Pick-Up & Drop-Off Points)

PUDOs are physical locations inside retail stores, convenience stores, or service centres where customers can collect or drop off parcels. Unlike lockers, PUDOs involve a staff member handling the package during pick-up or drop-off. They provide a more flexible, human-assisted alternative to lockers, often integrated within local businesses.

Key Features:
✅ Staffed service points (no automation)
✅ Located inside existing businesses
✅ Limited opening hours (based on store hours)
✅ Often used by multiple carriers

 

🔹 Main Differences

Feature	Lockers	PUDOs
Automation	Fully automated	Staff-assisted
Security	High (individual compartments)	Relies on store procedures and staff handling
Availability	24/7 (if location allows)	Limited by store hours
Space Requirement	Requires dedicated locker installation	Uses existing retail space

 

🎯Which One to Use?

🔸 Lockers: Best suited for urban areas with high parcel volume, offering 24/7 availability and security.
🔸 PUDOs: Ideal for suburban or rural areas where dedicated locker installations might not be feasible. They leverage existing retail spaces to provide convenience with human interaction.

Both solutions play a crucial role in Out-Of-Home (OOH) deliveries, enhancing last-mile logistics and reducing failed deliveries. For temperature-sensitive goods, selecting between lockers and PUDOs should also consider the ability to maintain the cold chain. Here, passive temperature-controlled packaging is essential in ensuring product quality until collection. Additionally, this packaging is not only vital for maintaining temperature stability at the pick-up location (whether in a refrigerated or non-refrigerated locker or PUDO) but also throughout the transportation process from the retailer to the final OOH delivery point.

By integrating passive packaging into the transportation phase—rather than relying solely on it as the final collection packaging—sustainability benefits are also enhanced. Passive solutions can be used in electric vehicles with lower energy consumption, as they do not require active cooling systems. Moreover, their lightweight design helps reduce overall transport emissions, making them a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative in last-mile delivery.

By integrating passive packaging into the transportation phase—rather than relying solely on it as the final collection packaging—sustainability benefits are significantly enhanced. As logistics fleets undergo progressive electrification, passive solutions perfectly align with this shift. Unlike active cooling systems, passive packaging does not require an energy source, making it ideal for electric delivery vehicles, which operate with lower energy consumption.

Furthermore, passive packaging is lightweight and modular, helping to optimise vehicle space, reduce energy demands, and ultimately lower the carbon footprint of last-mile logistics. This adaptability allows logistics providers to scale operations efficiently while meeting sustainability goals, making passive temperature-controlled solutions a key enabler of the future of eco-friendly OOH deliveries.