North West online electricals retailer AO.com has partnered with an innovative location company meaning packages can now be delivered to any specific place.
The Bolton firm's customers will now be able to give precise locations using the What3words technology - which has divided the world into a grid of 3m squares, giving each one a unique combination of three word.
AO said that means customers wanting their product delivered to a front door, side entrance or safe place will benefit - and that "close to 46m people in the UK" have an address that does not lead directly to the door of their home or business.
The partnership will shortly be rolled out nationwide, with all drivers having access to the app and all customers able to share their What3words address.
Dave Ashwell, MD of AO Logistics, said: “It can be difficult for our drivers to find certain addresses, due to duplicated road names, the UK’s many unnumbered houses and single postcodes covering extensive rural areas.
"Our new partnership with What3words means we can always deliver to exactly the right location and guarantee our customers the excellent AO experience, regardless of where they live.”
Using a traditional street address for delivery will only take the driver to the precise front door for 30% of houses, with the majority directing people to an inexact point outside a building or on a road, with that problem even more pronounced in rural areas, with delivery drivers often left searching for the correct property.
What3words is also used by emergency services across the UK.
Chris Sheldrick, co-founder and CEO of the firm, said: “I grew up in a rural part of Hertfordshire, and constantly felt the frustrations of poor addressing.
"I’d have to flag down delivery drivers who drove past our house, and as we shared a postcode with our neighbours, spent my childhood running their parcels over to them.
"It’s great to see AO, who are often delivering large appliances and need incredibly accurate drop-off locations, roll out What3words.”
