Related Articles
The Royal Mail is hosting a trial that will change how Brits send and return parcels.
The Royal Mail has announced it is making a major change to how Brits send their mail in the hopes of making the process more convenient. In partnership with the Post Office, the Royal Mail shares that this will be an “exciting step forward”.
The postal service will soon begin a six-month trial that will impact how parcels are sent and returned in the UK. Set to be placed outside Post Office stores, customers will see 24/7 parcel lockers installed so Brits can use the branches even if they are shut.
Described as an “easy, convenient way for you to drop off parcels seven days a week”, this service will help cater to a range of lifestyles that don’t usually coincide with Post Office opening hours. To use the services, all customers need to do is find the closest locker to them and buy their parcel postage online.
From there, Brits can take the parcel to their closest locker and print off the label through the on-screen instructions. Once the provided barcode is scanned, all you need to do is pop the parcel in the locker and be on your way.
This upcoming trial is said to show the service’s commitment to meeting a variety of customer needs, reports Birmingham Live. Anna Malley, director of partnerships and acquisitions at Royal Mail, said: “Post Office is one of Royal Mail’s most important partners, and this is an exciting step forward in how we work together.
“The trial reflects our commitment to meeting a wide range of customer needs whilst also maintaining existing options.”
Neill O’Sullivan, mails and parcels director at Post Office, added: “We are delighted that after a 370-year partnership with Royal Mail, we continue to innovate and ensure parcel services meet the needs of customers who want the flexibility of using a locker for their parcel collection and delivery.
“We will evaluate this trial, and in particular the benefits it has brought to our postmasters and look forward to working with Royal Mail over the next few months on this trial.”
This new trial was announced nine months after the Royal Mail partnered up with Sainsbury’s to install the parcel lockers at supermarket stores across the UK.
With Royal Mail working to rapidly expand its current network of parcel drop-off and collection points to benefit the British public, Sainsbury’s is the first supermarket to lend a helping hand.
The first parcel locker from the Royal Mail was launched in December 2024, to help cater to the growing number of second-hand marketplace sellers using its service.
At the time, Royal Mail’s group strategy and transformation director Jack Clarkson said: “Partnering with a retailer with the scale and popularity of Sainsbury’s is great news for our customers and the UK public, who will now have even more ways to drop off and collect their parcels in convenient locations.
“Due to the relentless growth in online shopping and secondhand marketplaces, there is increased demand from our customers for more parcel drop off and collection points.
“To meet our goal of making sending and receiving parcels as easy as possible, we must considerably expand our network. This is the start of an exciting partnership with Sainsbury’s that will help us to meet that goal at pace.”
Customers will be able to use a variety of Royal Mail services at the lockers, including:
- Tracked Returns
- 1st Class (including 1st Class Signed For)
- 2nd Class (including 2nd Class Signed For)
- Tracked
- International (Tracked, Tracked & Signed, Signed, Standard, and Economy)
Source link
