Post offices open changing rooms for online shoppers

FRANCE’S post office is experimenting with opening changing rooms in some branches to cater to online shoppers who want to quickly return purchases that do not fit.

In a Paris post office, a standalone changing room in the shape and canary yellow colour of a French mailbox has been installed. Inside is a chair, mirror, and shelf to place your package for on the spot returns.

France’s La Poste said the idea came about after seeing many customers pick up their packages only to return shortly thereafter as their purchases didn’t fit.

France, like many countries, has seen a boom in online commerce, with clients purchasing items including clothes and shoes that are often returned.

La Poste said the experiment is more than just a changing room. “The idea is to simplify the lives of our clients,” said the company, letting them receive the merchandise, check it out on the spot and, in the event of a poor fit or a change of mind, send it back.

“It helps people avoid making pointless trips back in forth and save time, it’s practical,” said client Michele Limouzy, adding she nevertheless prefers to buy clothes in shops.

La Poste also hopes the experiment will boost traffic. Like other national post offices, it seeks to compensate for the drop in letter traffic over the years by boosting its parcel business.

The experiment has not pleased shop owners, however. The initiative “is causing deep displeasure among small independent retailers and poses serious risks to the vibrancy of local economies if it is rolled out nationally,” said the French Retailers Association, which unites some 450,000 small shops.