The first robotic parcel machines with integrated cold storage are launched in Finland. The service aims at customers wanting to pick up their online groceries. Currently, the machines are only active in two locations near Helsinki.

The parcel machines with cold storage are the result of a collaboration of three companies from Finland: parcel service provider Smartmile, cranes and lifting equipment company Konecranes and major retail chain K Group.

Temperature-controlled compartments

The parcel machines feature both storage at room temperature and storage at refrigerator temperature. Groceries are stored in temperature-controlled compartments, while frozen products are packed in special packages that maintain the freezer temperature.

The parcel machine that combines storage at room and refrigerator temperatures.

This is how the solution works

With the solution customers can pick up their groceries and other online orders from a pick up point at any time of the day. They order their weekly groceries to the parcel machine by using K Group’s app for online grocery orders. After this, the groceries are collected and inserted to the parcel machine. The two parcel machines are installed in two K-stores, one in Järvenpää, the other in Vantaa.

“We wanted to revolutionize customer experience by making daily shopping as easy and convenient as possible. Together with our partners we created a solution that combines daily grocery shopping and picking up online orders. This saves the customers’ time and makes everyday life easier”, Smartmile CEO Aku Happo says.

Buying groceries online has increased in popularity in Finland

Petri Toivone, Service Director at K Group, says that buying groceries online has increased in popularity recently. “At the same time all ecommerce is growing and new, different types of pick up solutions are introduced to the market. This robotic parcel machine with a cold storage space is a great example of innovation that eases shopping as it allows consumers to pick up all their parcels from one pick up point.”