THE Southern Co-operative in Bishop's Waltham is benefiting from a new collaboration with a delivery firm.

Hermes has plans for myHermes ParcelShops at 49 Co-op stores across the UK, with the Southern Co-op’s High Street location having joined the initiative two months ago.

The service allows customers to order online and have items dropped off at home or at their nearest ParcelShop.

It is hoped the service will also be useful to customers wanting a convenient way to send back items ordered online.

Paul Bye, head of category and trading at Southern Co-operative, said the announcement is good news both for his organisation and for customers.

“The myHermes ParcelShop proposition is not only designed to add to our offering for customers, but deliver real benefits to our stores. This includes an added revenue stream, greater awareness in the neighbourhood and increased footfall and overall basket spend.”

Rob Edson, chief financial officer at Hermes, said: “This latest agreement with such a well-known and trusted name within the community underlines the value myHermes ParcelShop offers to both convenience retailers and their customers. We are set to expand our network to 3,000 sites this year, with each location meeting our high standards in terms of quality, location and availability.”