Box by Post, Helsinki

Finland’s state owned postal service Posti, has opened a new type of click and collect concept called Box, in the heart of Helsinki. Designed by Fyra and with strategy from Motley, Box is a response to a shift in consumer behaviour, which has seen a decline in traditional post alongside huge growth in e-commerce parcel shipping.

Box is part of Posti’s restructuring to stay relevant in the hugely competitive delivery market, by servicing consumer demand for convenience and a growing interest from DTC brands.

This is where e-commerce meets the physical space. It’s the missing link between customers’ home and online stores and it offers customers a number of value added services. In addition to parcel collection (with 600 lockers, it’s the world’s largest locker room), there are dedicated spaces for customers to unpack goods, fitting rooms to try on clothing, facilities to repackage returns and even recycle packaging, which helps make the whole click and collect experience as frictionless and convenient as possible. In Finland 50% of online clothing is returned, so the quick turnaround of returns also enables brands to re-absorb items back into current stock more rapidly, which is especially important in the fashion industry.

As part of the development of the concept, Posti consulted with DTC brands, who saw the value in its city centre location and the site features a ‘Spotlight’ area giving fledgling brands a space to sell their products.

As well as acting as a lab for digitally native brands, Box is an incubator for Posti, a place where they can test out new ideas and understand, first-hand what their customers do and don’t like, before rolling them out across the estate.

In a space that could be purely functional, strategic consultancy Motley and designers Fyra have succeeded in creating an attractive, experiential space for the 362 year old Finnish postal institution.