On October 13, 2026, British lingerie and pleasure retailer Ann Summers said it is adding InPost parcel-locker delivery and returns for online orders (Logistics Manager; Retail Technology Innovation Hub). At checkout, customers can now choose 48-hour delivery to an InPost locker, pick a location and collect when they like. Returns can go back through InPost's 16,000+ UK lockers. CEO Maria Hollins framed it as choice: "We want every interaction with Ann Summers to feel empowering and on our customers' terms." InPost UK CCO Jon Nicholson said Ann Summers has "spent decades disrupting the high street." Logistics Manager cites InPost research from January 2026 finding that nearly 60% of British consumers experience delivery-related stress and spend an average of 3.2 hours a month waiting in for parcels.

Why It Matters

Neither company says so, but for a pleasure retailer, lockers solve a **discretion** problem as much as a convenience one. They remove the doorstep handover, the neighbour taking a parcel in, the shared-house post table, and the awkward return at a staffed counter. Returns are a particular sore spot in this category: many brands refuse them on hygiene grounds, and the ones that accept them (Womanizer offers a [100-day guarantee](/stories/womanizer-snap-guide)) need an easy way back. Self-service lockers make a "no questions asked" returns policy cheaper to run. It also helps Ann Summers' omnichannel position. The chain is a store-led UK retailer competing against online specialists, including [Lovehoney](/stories/lovehoney-fy2025-accounts-impairment-dividend), whose UK business is growing while its European business shrinks, and against [quick-commerce players such as India's Plush](/stories/plush-2x-revenue-quick-commerce). Delivery options are one of the few places a legacy chain can compete without a price war. Expect other UK sexual-wellness DTC brands to follow. Out-of-home delivery is now standard in UK e-commerce, and few categories value privacy at the point of delivery more than this one.

Sources

Update — 2026-10-14

Initial entry — story first created.