Andre Veskimeister at ALFA 3: Where Is Last-Mile Delivery Headed?

He's also the founder and CEO of Parcel Locker Central, dedicated to building and supporting parcel-locker ecosystems, strategy, and technology for operators, carriers, and cities. He personally contributed significantly to transforming parcel logistics in the Baltics; now, over 80% of last-mile deliveries in Estonia go through smart lockers. Our team first met him last fall at Parcel + Post EXPO in Amsterdam. He showed interest in our production then, and it happened in December.

Mr. Veskimeister toured our manufacturing spaces, familiarised himself with the technologies, and at the end of his visit gave us a short interview about this sector's future:

What is your impression of our company?

“When I enter a production facility, I can ‘feel it’ within the first five seconds. The first impression is crucial for me, and here it was very positive.

I consider two factors: first, the factory's organization, and second, the level of automation. In both cases, everything here ticked all the boxes perfectly.”

Is there anything you have worked on recently that surprised you in this industry?

“You know, I literally live and breathe this industry, so it’s very hard to surprise me. Still, one thing continues to surprise me – that some countries are still not deploying parcel lockers. That surprises me a lot, especially Germany and the USA.

Two years ago, I would have said the same about the UK, but today the UK is probably one of the most dynamic European markets in terms of local infrastructure.

The second thing that surprises me is how strongly traditional home-delivery companies are trying to protect this delivery model.”

Can you explain when it makes sense to build your own local network and when it is better to share one?

“You’ve just asked me the hardest question… how much time do we have? Let’s say the ideal delivery model is an open network. But it is very difficult to achieve. Why? Because open local networks do not control volumes. The growth of such a network depends on the parcel volumes flowing into it.
That is why carriers have a very strong position – they control the volumes and can decide accordingly.

This is also why I believe it is natural that, in the growth phase of a market, closed networks built by carriers dominate. But once the market reaches maturity – which I already see today, for example, in the Czech Republic – companies begin to open their capacity to competitors to be more efficient. On a mature market, this type of infrastructure emerges naturally.”

Where do you see this field over the next 2–3 years?

“We are clearly in a growth phase. Even your company’s numbers and growth trajectory show that out-of-home (OOH) delivery is growing exponentially.

We have done some calculations, and it appears that Europe will need at least 200,000 delivery stations over the next five years – possibly even more. And yet some key markets, such as Germany, have practically not even started.”

Is sustainability important in this industry?

“It’s a big topic that almost everyone talks about today. Personally, however, I am not entirely sure it is a real decision-making factor.

When we look at actual customer behavior and what truly motivates people, sustainability is there, but it is not as important as price. This is my personal opinion: if a customer has to choose between cheaper delivery and more sustainable delivery, they will choose the cheaper option.”

Do you think this must change in the future?​

“I don’t think so – at least not in the sense that sustainability should be a standalone goal. Sustainability should be the result of human behavior.

That’s why we don’t need to think about it separately. For example, we don’t think about love every day – you simply move in that direction. It’s the same here. Direction matters, but it’s not necessary to take special actions just for sustainability.”

Do you have any advice for local manufacturers for 2026?​

“Absolutely. Sell more!”

Thank you for your time.