Small shops fear loss of income over Bpost plan to use lockers instead

Belgian postal company Bpost has announced that it will give priority to its own Bbox parcel lockers where sufficient capacity is available, prompting concern from shops acting as post offices or parcel collection points, for whom this activity represents a significant source of income.

When a customer places an order online and there are enough available Bbox units nearby, they will no longer be able to choose delivery to a post office or parcel collection point - usually an independent newsagent or convenience store - and instead will only be able to opt for a parcel locker or a post office.

Bpost said that this system, which has been tested over the past few months in five municipalities, has not affected customer satisfaction.

The postal company has already installed almost 3,000 parcel lockers as an alternative to collection points run by independent retailers.

Bpost emphasised that the approximately 1,400 post and parcel points remain indispensable, particularly during busy periods. They also remain essential in areas without Bbox machines.

But sector federation Perstablo said that it was “very concerned”, pointing out that some shops handle several hundred parcels a day and rely heavily on this income.

Perstablo fears further closures, as sales of newspapers, magazines and lottery products shift to digital platforms and the sale of tobacco is once again permitted in supermarkets from 2027.

Minister for public enterprises Vanessa Matz had already called into question the funding of post offices in her previous proposal for a new management contract for Bpost.