Out-of-home (OOH) delivery, also known as PUDO (Pick-Up Drop-Off), is rapidly becoming the backbone of eCommerce logistics. Whether referred to as lockers, collection points, parcel shops, or service points, the principle is the same: they give consumers more convenience, control, and flexibility.
As shoppers increasingly embrace lockers and collection points to suit their schedules, the limitations of traditional carrier networks are becoming more visible. The future of OOH delivery isn’t about one carrier dominating — it’s about choice. And that’s where multi-carrier providers like Mail Handling International (MHI) come in.
The Numbers
· Market size & growth: The Europe OOH delivery market is approximately $7bn in 2025, forecast to double to $14.1bn by 2030
· Adoption: 44% of European e-shoppers chose an OOH option at checkout (lockers or pickup points)
· Returns: OOH is even more dominant for returns (79%)
· Worldwide: 25% of global shoppers receive items to an OOH point; 66% return via a locker/shop.
What it means
· OOH is shifting from “alternative” to mainstream in Europe, with high consumer uptake and rapid network densification.
· Globally, OOH adoption and locker capacity are rising, supported by lower last-mile costs and consumer preference for convenience and flexible pickup/returns
Why Single-Carrier Networks Fall Short
The biggest carriers have invested heavily in their own networks of lockers and pick-up points. But even for the largest names, their reach is relatively narrow. Each operates within the limits of its own infrastructure, building a network that can never be truly universal.
For consumers, this means fewer options and more compromises. They may want a locker closer to work, or a parcel shop that opens later in the evening, but if their delivery is locked into a single carrier’s system, that flexibility is lost.
In contrast, multi-carrier providers aren’t constrained by a single network. Instead, they can aggregate delivery points from multiple carriers and partners, creating coverage that is broader, more flexible, and more responsive to customer needs.
The Power of Aggregation
A true multi-carrier solution has the agility to quickly add lockers and service points across markets, leveraging partnerships and existing infrastructure rather than relying on slow, capital-intensive buildouts.
This creates a network effect: the more carriers and delivery points included, the more options customers have, and the more attractive the service becomes for retailers looking to offer seamless OOH delivery across regions.
The result? While the traditional “big” carriers shrink in relative significance, the multi-carrier approach scales in both reach and relevance.
Returns: The Inverted Network Advantage
But the real game changer is what happens when you invert the network. The same coverage that powers OOH delivery also becomes a perfect returns solution.
Consumers increasingly expect returns to be as easy and flexible as deliveries. By inverting a multi-carrier OOH network, providers like MHI can create a unified returns network, one that offers more choice in where parcels can be dropped off, with faster consolidation and fewer barriers for both customers and retailers.
This flexibility transforms returns from a cost and pain point into an opportunity for improved customer experience and retention.
More Choice = Better Experience
At its core, OOH eCommerce delivery is about giving customers more control: where, when, and how they collect or return their parcels. Single-carrier networks can only ever go so far. Multi-carrier providers, by contrast, have the reach, agility, and adaptability to create networks that match the realities of consumer behaviour today.
Our Solutions
In the future of eCommerce logistics, the winners won’t be the biggest carriers with the most branded lockers, they’ll be the providers who can offer the most choice and agility. And MHI is already proving that this is the way forward with an OOH network boasting access to over 500,000 locker and service point locations. With current partners expanding their networks and new carriers being added this number is predicted to double in the first half of 2026. For more information take a look at our latest deck or get in touch at enquiries@mhi.co.
