Madrid, 3 November 2026. The second GLS Spain Study on perceptions of consumer habits, preferences and outlook confirms that the Out Of Home (OOH) model, based on delivering and collecting orders at locations other than the home, such as convenience points and smart lockers, is becoming the leading alternative for receiving parcels. According to the report, 72.3% of Spanish consumers have used an OOH point at least once, compared with 64.3% in 2025.
This growth is particularly driven by the increased combined use of both solutions. 40% of respondents say they have used both convenience points, such as local shops, and smart lockers, a significant rise on last year (30.6%). At the same time, the proportion of people who have never used these alternatives has fallen from 35.7% to 27.7%.
José Luis Ballesteros, OOH Manager at GLS Spain, says: “Out Of Home is no longer an occasional alternative; it is a growing habit. The fact that more than 70% of Spaniards use these solutions shows that this model meets consumers’ changing needs. As well as improving the recipient experience, it contributes to more efficient, flexible and sustainable distribution.”
As for the user experience, the most highly valued aspects remain unchanged: proximity (70.2%) and extended opening hours (68.4%) continue to rank highest. These are followed by “no queues” (49.4%) and good customer service (32.2%).
Convenience points and smart lockers: two complementary options
When both options are the same distance away, convenience points remain the preferred choice for most people (58.8%, compared with 62.5% in 2025), mainly because of the personal service and trust associated with physical shops. Nevertheless, smart lockers continue to gain ground, reaching 41.2% preference (vs. 37.5% in 2025) and becoming the most popular option among under-35s (53.9%), driven by 24/7 availability and speed.
Sustained support for local businesses
The impact of OOH on local businesses is becoming firmly established. 86.9% of Spaniards believe that collecting orders from local shops has a positive effect on the neighbourhood economy (virtually unchanged from 86.2% in 2025). The most frequently cited benefits are greater visibility for shops (46.0%), increased sales (35.1%) and more footfall (31.1%).
In addition, 52.9% of users say they have made a purchase at the collection point itself, rising to 67.4% among the most frequent users.
In response to this trend, GLS has expanded its network to more than 10,000 convenience points and smart lockers across Spain. This infrastructure gives recipients greater flexibility while helping to optimise last-mile distribution.
Progress in returns and digital experience
Returns are one of the main drivers of OOH growth. The study reveals that 49.6% of consumers have already used an OOH point to make a return, while the model’s expansion potential reaches 80.7%.
In the digital sphere, tracking via a link (email or SMS) is the most widely used tool (58.4%), followed by the retailer’s or marketplace’s app (48.7%). However, the report identifies room to improve digital flexibility: the ease of changing the delivery address or delivery point receives a high rating of 46.3%, making it one of the potential service improvements.
The full study is available to download at the following link: https://cloud.comunicaciones.gls-spain.com/ii-estudio-out-of-home
About GLS Spain
GLS Spain is a subsidiary of the GLS Group, a leading provider of domestic and international parcel, freight and express delivery services, operating in more than 50 countries. Thanks to its extensive network of logistics centres and in-depth knowledge of local markets, GLS connects its customers with millions of shipments every day through high-quality, personalised and flexible services in Europe, Asia and the Americas.
As a group, GLS delivered 926 million parcels in the 2024–2025 financial year, supported by a network of more than 1,700 depots, a fleet of over 42,000 trucks and delivery vehicles, and an Out-of-Home network of more than 117,000 parcel delivery and collection points.
In Spain, GLS’s network comprises more than 600 depots and agencies, supported by over 10,000 GLS Points (convenience points and smart lockers) and more than 4,900 delivery vehicles and couriers.
The Madrid KM0 Hub, with an area of more than 33,000 m², is GLS Spain’s main logistics centre and headquarters. It features advanced logistics technology, including automated sorting systems capable of handling up to 50,000 parcels per hour, enabling an operational flow of more than one million shipments a day during peak periods.
GLS has three Artificial Intelligence Hubs in Europe, each specialising in a key business area. Spain’s CX & Sales AI Hub is the driving force behind the Group’s digital transformation in customer experience, marketing and sales.
For more information, visit www.gls-group.com/ES/