From today, mailmen will automatically redeliver parcels the next day if a customer is not home for a delivery the first time around.

The recipient will receive a card after the first delivery attempt advising that the mailman will return the next working day, offering alternative options if required.

The initiative is free and is designed to save customers time, as well as provide a more convenient experience so they do not need to travel to a Royal Mail Customer Service Point to retrieve missed mail. This will in turn reduce carbon emissions as customers will not be travelling out of their way to pick up a parcel.

Customers will continue to have the existing alternative delivery options, including arranging a redelivery for a more convenient time, having items left in a safe place or with a neighbour, or requesting their parcel is redelivered to another local address or Post Office.

Nick Landon, Chief Commercial Officer Royal Mail said: “With this change we will use that same great local knowledge to automatically attempt delivery again the next day and customers will know they are coming because we will have left a card the day before. Our trials show that by making this change the vast majority of items will be delivered without the recipient needing to do anything.”