Doddle, the purple network of parcel stores, has opened its 35th store in the space of 35 weeks. The new store is located on Platform 12 at Network Rail’s London Paddington Station; one of Britain’s busiest with 17.4 million visitors annually.
Doddle, a joint venture launched in 2014 by entrepreneur Lloyd Dorfman and Network Rail, is the only click and collect service to accept delivery of shoppers’ online purchases from any retailer or carrier.
The new 925 square foot store in this prime location has been taken on a six year lease, building on Doddle’s rapid store roll out programme which will see 100 stores open by the end of 2015 and up to 250 new locations by the end of 2017.
It joins Doddle’s current list of stores in and around major train stations and high footfall locations across the UK, including Victoria, Waterloo, Canon Street and Westfield Stratford.
Tim Robinson, CEO at Doddle, said; “Opening a new flagship Doddle store in one of London’s most famous stations is a really exciting moment for us. Missing a delivery is a real pain and costs the industry up to £3/4 billion a year, a cost which is inevitably passed onto consumers. We’re looking forward to doing our bit to help make online shopping a doddle by providing a convenient place for commuters and people working and living nearby to receive their deliveries and return unwanted items.”
David Biggs, Network Rail’s managing director of Property said: “More people are travelling by rail than ever before and stations have become more than just a place to wait for, or get off a train. We’ve expanded the quality and quantity of the retail offer at our biggest stations such as Paddington and a new Doddle store is an exciting addition.
“The hundreds of thousands of passengers using Paddington Station every day can now make use of this conveniently located parcel service and any profits we make are reinvested into the railway.“
Doddle’s Paddington Station is open from 7am to 8pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Saturdays, and 11am to 5pm Sundays and bank holidays, ensuring that shoppers are able to time the collection or return of their parcels around their commute and typical working day.
Over thirty thousand people have already signed up to use Doddle since launch, and the business has developed retail partnerships with a number of retailers including Amazon, Hawes & Curtis, Countrywide Farmers, Warehouse, Halfords, T.M. Lewin and many more.
