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DPD UK adopts what3words for pinpoint parcel deliveries

  • New partnership will improve the delivery experience for both drivers and parcel customers
  • Customers will be able to add a what3words address to their details in the DPD app

Leading UK parcel delivery company DPD has today announced a partnership with innovative addressing technology company, what3words, to enable deliveries to precise locations.

From Friday 25th February, parcel customers can add their what3words address in the Delivery Preferences section of the DPD app. With precise what3words addresses, drivers know they will arrive at the exact building entrance, doorstep, or tucked away side passage specified by the parcel customer.

There are a number of reasons why certain UK locations cause problems for all types of visitors, including delivery drivers. Addresses aren’t always accurate, postcodes often cover broad areas, and access to some buildings may not always be clear.  And for new builds, it can take up to six months for the address to be registered. Poor and inaccurate addressing can also add difficulties for couriers.

what3words is revolutionising the way people communicate locations. It has divided the world into 3m x 3m squares and given each square a unique combination of three words. It’s an easy way to find, share and navigate to precise locations, anywhere in the world. For example, ///bands.villa.swung will take you to a precise 3 metre square on Primrose Hill with a panoramic view of London.

Over 10 million DPD parcel recipients already use the DPD app to personalise their delivery preferences and, from 25 February, they will be able to discover and save their exact drop-off what3words address using the map and grid overlay in their DPD app profile. It will mean more reliable deliveries and more accurate ETAs for customers in certain locations. The initiative will also help reduce the need to provide additional directions or to pick up a parcel from a neighbour, because the driver couldn’t find them.

With what3words, drivers should be able to find more delivery locations at the first attempt so routes can be better optimised, helping DPD cut out the inefficiencies that create surplus emissions in the last mile.

Elaine Kerr, CEO of DPD UK, commented: “Our drivers do an amazing job delivering the vast majority of parcels to the correct address, first time, often going above and beyond to work out where harder to find locations are.  We use the best technology available to make their job easier, and what3words is an incredibly smart solution.  In addition to helping us deliver to new housing estates and remote cottages, there are significant gains from more effective fleet routing and reducing unnecessary mileage.  As a UK leader in smart, green delivery, this is a very welcome addition to our award-winning service.”

Chris Sheldrick, CEO and Co-founder of what3words adds: “DPD is one of the UK’s favourite parcel delivery networks – and allowing its customers to use what3words to specify locations will transform everyday deliveries. Our technology gives both customers and DPD drivers the confidence that deliveries will be made precisely, easily, and more efficiently, using just three words.”

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For further information please contact: press@dpd.co.uk

Notes to editors

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DPD was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2015 in the Innovation category, for its unique one-hour delivery service, Predict. 

In 2018, DPD opened the UK’s first all-electric parcel delivery depot in Westminster. DPD currently has over 1,700 EVs on the road in the UK and in October 2020, announced plans to deliver to 25 of the largest towns and cities in the UK with zero and low-emission delivery means by 2023.  In July 2021, Oxford became DPD’s first all-electric city in the UK. Details of all of DPD’s sustainability initiatives can be found on its dedicated green website: https://green.dpd.co.uk/

DPD is a member of DPDgroup, the largest parcel delivery network in Europe. DPDgroup is the parcel delivery network of GeoPost, a holding company owned by France’s La Poste.

The company operates more than 10,000 vehicles from 84 locations and delivers over 400 million parcels a year.

About what3words

Co-founded in London in 2013 by Chris Sheldrick, what3words is reimagining the way we talk about location. The system covers the entire world, never needs updating, and works offline. A what3words address is a human-friendly way to share very precise locations with other people, or to input them into platforms and machines such as ride-hailing apps or e-commerce checkouts. It is optimised for voice input and contains built-in error prevention to immediately identify and correct input mistakes.

The free what3words app, available for iOS and Android, and the online map enable people to find, share and navigate to what3words addresses in 50 languages to date. Millions of what3words addresses are in use around the world, with thousands of businesses using them to save money, be more efficient and provide a better customer experience. what3words is integrated into apps, platforms and websites, with just a few lines of code. Products are available for free or for a nominal fee for qualifying NGOs. Its partners include Mercedes-Benz, Triumph Motorcycles, Premier Inn, the AA and many emergency services across the world.

what3words has a team of over 100 people, across offices in the UK, USA, Germany, India and Mongolia. The company has raised over £100 million in capital from investors such as Intel, Ingka (Ikea), Deutsche Bahn, Subaru, Aramex, and Sony Innovation Fund.