Alternative to packing stations: a location for all packages? DHL subsidiary starts machines

If you want to pick up your package at the machine, you will have it a little easier in the future. Because no matter which package company the shipment transports – it could always end up in the same machine. So you no longer have to go to different package shops or machines – depending on which package company the shipment comes from.

The DHL subsidiary Deinfach put their first white machines into operation in Cologne, Bonn and Berlin, in which not only DHL packages are stored, but soon also programs from other service providers. This is not the case with the yellow DHL “packing stations”, they are only reserved for DHL packages. Your subject has ambitious plans: at least 1,000 machines should be installed at the end of the year. The company was originally called onestopbox, including for reasons of trademark law.

“More and more consumers want to pick up and send their packages around the clock,” says Deinach boss Lukas Beckedorff. “This reduces traffic because parcel service providers can deliver more efficiently and pick up packages, and the climate balance of delivery improves.” This is because the route per package drops – the deliverer no longer has to drive to every single household, but it gets rid of a large number of packages at a machine.

Even hundreds of white machines from MyflexBox into operation

The concept of white machines is not new. The Austrian company MyflexBox already operates 472 such stations in Germany. So far, programs from GLS, UPS, Fedex and DPD are stored in this. Myflexbox also wants to expand a lot: at the end of the year it should be at least 1,000 machines in Germany and at least 5,000 in 2030.

“The giant advantage for all recipients of packages is that for the programs from various package service providers you no longer have to check out various package shops and machines, but can deliver or redirect all packages directly to your” favorite blocker “,” says MyflexBox boss Lukas Wieser . The same applies to returns. “To do everything at one point is a big time saving.”

Away from the front door delivery

Thanks to the booming online trade, Germany’s package industry has been growing for a long time, ordering on the Internet is becoming more and more a matter of course. Ordered today and delivered to the front door tomorrow – for many people, this is more attractive than buying in business.

However, the front door delivery is complex and expensive for package companies. Therefore, you can expand your pick -up network: you rely on parcel shops and machines, freely according to the motto: the consumer should please pick up his order himself.

With the exception of Hermes, all larger package companies in Germany intensify their pick -up options with machines. An UPS spokesman says that “Out of Home Delivery” is becoming increasingly important. “In order to be able to offer our customers a comfortable and expanded service, package machines are also increasingly integrated into our network.”

Fedex manager Stefan Dries describes machines as an important strategic component: “Package stations complement our range of services and save customers and unnecessary ways.”

DPD and GLS recently announced a cooperation that, according to them, they want to have 1,000 joint machines by the end of the year. Around 100 of them are already in operation. This is also an open system, so competitors can rent.

DHL is ahead of machines

For years, parcel machines were almost exclusively a domain of the market leader DHL. It currently has around 15,000 yellow machines. The hot pack stations or post stations (video advice is possible with the latter). The machines are bright yellow. The color signals: Here are packages only from DHL.

The machines of the DHL subsidiary Deinfach, on the other hand, are deliberately kept in white to underline the open character: the competition is welcome, but it has to pay rent. By 2030, DHL would like to double the number of its package machines in Germany to 30,000- some of the additional machines will be pack or post stations and the other part of your subject stations.

Municipalities want industry solution

Why is the group actually doing internal competition instead of approaching uniformly? Deinfach boss Beckedorff says that it is not about competition. “In the past few years, the desire has come from the municipalities to have white machines as an industry solution, instead that machines from different companies stand side by side and a consumer has to go to the other on the one hand,” says Beckedorff. “We now correspond to the wish of the municipalities with your subject.”

The DHL subsidiary was founded in 2024, at that time company boss Beckedorff spent the expansion goal of 2,000 machines for 2025. In retrospect, this was “very ambitious”, says the manager. “Your subject is a completely new product with machines of a Spanish company and with independent software solutions – our offer is integrated in the apps of the package companies, which is a major challenge.”

DHL has now been integrated, with UPS there will soon be another package company. “Talks run with other companies.” Retailers should also be given the opportunity to store goods that are picked up by customers. But that is still a future music, this is not the case at the start of your subject.