If a recipient cannot be determined at the given address, the consequences are usually return postage costs, dissatisfied customers and the time and costs involved in resending the item. Thanks to retail outlet routing by DHL Business Customer Service, your undeliverable items get a second chance to reach their recipient and are left at the nearest retail outlet where they are kept for collection by customers.

Your benefits with retail outlet routing

  • Items kept for collection seven working days
  • Avoiding returns
  • Greater customer satisfaction

Are you interested in retail outlet routing?

I am already a business customer of DHL Paket and would like to use retail outlet routing.

To the Post & DHL Business Customer Portal

I am not yet a business customer of DHL Paket but am interested in retail outlet routing.

Become a customer

If the recipient cannot be determined at the given address during a delivery attempt, the item is usually returned to you. With retail outlet routing, your undeliverable items get a second chance to reach their recipient. They are dropped off at the nearest retail outlet with a parcel collection point and kept there for collection by customers. The recipient will be notified by e-mail and has seven working days to pick up the item.

If the item is collected, the time and costs involved in a return can be avoided, increasing the satisfaction of your customers.

The retail outlet routing service can be ordered directly via DHL's dispatch logistics system on the Post & DHL Business Customer Portal. You can also use the service if you program your own dispatch logistics systems in-house.

When a recipient cannot be identified at the given address, retail outlet routing gives undeliverable shipments a second chance to reach their destination.

  • DHL will store the item at the nearest retail outlet with a parcel collection point, where it will be held for collection for seven working days.
  • By specifying the e-mail address in the data accompanying the item, you determine whether you or the recipient should be notified in the event of non-delivery (provided that the recipient has agreed to receive e-mail notifications). The notification will contain information for collecting the item (shipment number, retail outlet and address, deadline for collection).
  • If, at the end of seven working days, the item has not been collected, it will be returned to the sender. In that case the return fee will be charged.
  • Alternatively, you can generate the collection notification for the recipient yourself in accordance with the information on the DHL Developer Portal.

There is no initial charge for ordering the retail outlet routing service. Charges only apply if the item cannot be delivered and is therefore sent to the retail outlet (EUR 1.99 in each case, plus VAT). If the item is not collected from the retail outlet, it will be returned to you and subject to the return fee.

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