Royal Mail announces major change coming to postboxes

The change means that customers can send parcels “as large as” a shoebox

People who deliver parcels will soon see a major change to the postboxes they can use. Royal Mail has announced 3,500 solar-powered postboxes that will have a digitally-activated drop-down drawer.

The change means that customers can send parcels as large as a shoebox. The new postboxes will be installed across the UK, with the Post Office describing it as the biggest change to the postbox in its history. Postboxes have been going for over 170 years, over the years their design and colour have evolved significantly.

The new design has been trialled in Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire earlier this year, and will now be installed in cities including Edinburgh, Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield and Sunderland.

To use the new postboxes, customers scan a barcode on the Royal Mail app to open the drawer, which is designed for parcels too large to fit through the traditional slot. For those not wanting to send big parcels, the design also features a separate slot for letters.

By using the Royal Mail app, you can see proof of posting and parcel tracking. Jack Clarkson, managing director of out of home and commercial excellence at Royal Mail, said: “We are all sending and returning more parcels than ever before.

“This trend will only continue as online shopping shows no signs of slowing, particularly with the boom of second-hand marketplaces. There are 115,000 postboxes in the UK located within half a mile of 98% of addresses, making them by far the most convenient network of parcel drop-off points in the UK.”

He added: “Our message is clear, if you have a Royal Mail label on your parcel, and it fits, put it in a postbox and we’ll do the rest.” Royal Mail said the rollout is part of its drive to make posting, collecting and returning parcels as convenient as possible.

It is the second major change Royal Mail has announced in recent months. The delivery company have now scrapped Saturday deliveries for second-class post and switching to an alternate weekday service instead, the change was implemented on July 28.

It will keep its Monday to Saturday deliveries for first-class post. Royal Mail is keeping the target for second-class letters to arrive within three working days, despite changing deliveries to every other weekday.

According to Ofcom, the changes come after a lengthy consultation and will help Royal Mail cut costs by between £250 million and £425 million a year.

Natalie Black, Ofcom’s group director for networks and communications, said: “These changes are in the best interests of consumers and businesses, as urgent reform of the postal service is necessary to give it the best chance of survival.

“But changing Royal Mail’s obligations alone won’t guarantee a better service – the company now has to play its part and implement this effectively.”