Bolton joins Royal Mail’s national parcel postbox scheme

Royal Mail is converting the 1,400 existing meter boxes to give them a wider aperture and a secure design. This allows the boxes accept parcels the same way postboxes accept letters.

This is the first major change in the use of postboxes in 160 years. This scheme follows a successful trial of the boxes in 2018.

Royal Mail expects this service to be the biggest innovation in parcels since the launch of Parcel Post in 1883.

Bolton has received six boxes for business use, located in Silverwell Street, Raikes Lane, Wingates Industrial Estate, Stone Hill Road, Calvin Street, and Deansgate. Accurate map locations and a full list of boxes across the region are available on the Royal Mail website.

The scheme is set to benefit small businesses and marketplace sellers the most. Customers are able to send parcels that have been pre-paid through Click & Drop, Royal Mail’s online labelling system, at any time or day.

Customers will also be able to post some return parcels through the system if they have a Royal Mail barcode. These will either be sent in the parcel itself, or can be downloaded from Royal Mail’s website if the retailer is subscribed to the return portal. A full list of retailers signed up to the scheme is available on the Track my Return website.

Mark Street, Head of Campaigns at Royal Mail said: “The introduction of the first parcel postboxes in Greater Manchester means that customers can now send parcels with pre-paid postage and their returns in the same way that they do letters. The new parcel postboxes provide added flexibility to online sellers who might be running a business in their spare time and not keeping regular office hours.”

Six business boxes in Bolton – Silverwell Street business box, Raikes Lane business box, Wingates Industrial Estate, Bolton mail centre – stone hill road. Bolton North – calvin street near bolton north delivery office. Bolton B.O – Deansgate.

Full list with map links available on the Royal Mail website.

There are 48 across Greater Manchester. The launch sees RM converting existing meter boxes (1,400) to accept parcels in the same way that letters are. They have a wider aperture and a secure design.

There was a successful trial of the boxes in 2018.

This is a first for the UK and shows the first major change of use for the postbox in 160 years. These boxes are also expected to be the biggest innovation in parcels since the launch of parcel post in 1883.;

Royal Mail believe that small businesses and marketplace sellers will benefit the most as they can send parcels in the same way they currently send a letter. Parcels must be pre-paid through Click & Drop, RM’s online labelling system.

Customers will also be able to post some return parcels through this system. Any returns must include an RM barcode. Barcodes are available either in the parcel itself, or online from Royal Mail’s track my return service if the retailer has signed up to RM’s return portal. These can be seen online.

This will remove the need for many people to attend post offices as the service will be available 24/7.