Madrid, 12 November 2026. The second GLS Spain Study on 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 main alternative for receiving parcels. According to the report, 72.3% of Spanish consumers have used an OOH location 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, representing a significant increase compared with 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, explains: “Out-of-Home is no longer an occasional alternative, but a growing habit. The fact that more than 70% of Spaniards use these solutions shows that this model meets consumers’ changing needs. In addition to improving the recipient experience, it contributes to more efficient, flexible and sustainable distribution.”
In terms of the user experience, the most valued aspects remain unchanged: proximity (70.2%) and extended opening hours (68.4%) continue to rank first. Users also highlight “avoiding queues” (49.4%) and good customer service (32.2%).
Convenience points and smart lockers: two complementary options
When both options are at the same distance, convenience points remain the preferred choice for the majority (58.8%, compared with 62.5% in 2025), mainly because of the personal service and trust associated with physical shops. However, smart lockers continue to gain ground, reaching 41.2% of preference (compared with 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 mentioned benefits are greater visibility for local businesses (46.0%), increased sales (35.1%) and more customer 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 development, GLS has expanded its network to more than 10,000 convenience points and smart lockers across Spain. This infrastructure offers 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 location to return an item, while the model’s potential reach stands at 80.7%.
In the digital sphere, tracking via a link sent by 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 for improvement in digital flexibility: the ability to change the delivery address or collection point receives a high rating from 46.3% of respondents, making it one of the service’s potential areas for improvement.
The full study is available to download at the following link:
https://cloud.comunicaciones.gls-spain.com/ii-estudio-out-of-home
Local press releases by autonomous community
Find the press releases featuring the study’s data and results for each autonomous community:
· Andalusia: [ View press release ]
· Aragon: [ View press release ]
· Asturias: [ View press release ]
· Balearic Islands: [ View press release ]
· Valencian Community: [ View press release ]
· Cantabria: [ View press release ]
· Castile and León: [ View press release ]
· Castile-La Mancha: [ View press release ]
· Catalonia: [ View press release ]
· Extremadura: [ View press release ]
· Galicia: [ View press release ]
· La Rioja: [ View press release ]
· Region of Murcia: [ View press release ]
· Navarre: [ View press release ]
· Basque Country: [ View press release ]
About GLS Spain
GLS Spain is a subsidiary of the GLS Group, a leading provider of national 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 daily shipments through a high-quality, personalised and flexible service across 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 centres, a fleet of over 42,000 trucks and delivery vehicles, and an Out-of-Home network comprising more than 117,000 parcel delivery and collection points.
In Spain, GLS’s network includes more than 600 company-owned centres and agencies, supported by over 10,000 GLS Points (convenience points and smart lockers) and more than 4,900 delivery vehicles and couriers on foot.
The Madrid KM0 Hub, covering 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 per 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 drives the Group’s digital transformation in customer experience, marketing and sales.
For more information, visit www.gls-group.com/ES/