The French post office’s express distribution arm, Chronopost, has launched a pick-up service for parcels, Chrono Relais, which utilises a network of 3,000 French high street tobacconists. Each of the tobacconists outlets serves as a Chrono Relais pick-up point with more than 70 percent of them open from Monday to Sunday morning between 7.30am and 7.30pm.

By 2008, Chronopost expects to be delivering 20,000 parcels daily via Chrono Relais, the equivalent of close to eight percent of its global traffic.