Shoppers will soon be picking up their online orders from electronic lockers outside supermarkets following a push by ByBox into the consumer market.

Since 2000, ByBox has specialised in B2B solutions, enabling overnight deliveries of spare parts to engineers from 310 electronic locker banks in the UK - including 116 sites outside Tesco and Morrisons stores.

Now, it is spending £2m to install lockers outside 220 supermarket sites, for consumer use only, and as a free 24/7 service is expected to put pressure on paid-for rivals such as Royal Mail and Yodel.

ByBox is already an option for Figleaves.com and online fancy dress retailer Jokers’ Masquerade and will be used by 23 more sites from next month.

ByBox uses its 300-strong fleet and nine delivery hubs to guarantee that orders placed by 4pm will be ready for a consumer to collect at 8am the next day. Customers receive a text or email with a six-digit collection code that will open the locker.

“Online shopping has become a rich experience but the horrible bit at the end is trying to get your product delivered,” said CEO Stuart Miller.

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