Email addresses linked with physical location for item delivery

UK-based SoPost wants people to begin using their email addresses as a delivery location, which can be attached to multiple delivery points.

Given that people are always on the move, it can’t be guaranteed that they will be at home to receive their post, leading to failed deliveries. Belgium service Cardrops has already used consumers’ car trunks to ensure items are successfully delivered. Now, UK-based SoPost wants people to begin using their email addresses as a delivery location, which can be attached to multiple delivery points. Missed deliveries cost the UK around GBP 1 billion each year, according to the startup, which believes that these days email addresses have the potential for greater permanence than recipients’ physical residences. Users signing up for the service can attach as many physical addresses as they like to their email – home, work and weekend ones for example – and set up a schedule for when they are likely to be at each one. The company is working with online retailers so that when consumers register with their email, there are no extra address forms to fill in as SoPost works in the background to ensure items go to the right place. As the address information is handed over to SoPost, rather than brands, consumers may also benefit from stricter rules regarding what companies do with their data. When properly integrated, shoppers will be able to manage their delivery options from one place and ensure they are likely to be in the location their goods are sent to. How else can online retail be made to run more smoothly? Spotted by: Murray Orange