Royal Mail set to make biggest change to postboxes in 175 years

Royal Mail is to roll out thousands of solar-powered “postboxes of the future” around the country, which will also allow customers to post bigger parcels.

Royal Mail is set to make the biggest change to postboxes in 175 years and it will make it easier to send parcels. Royal Mail is to roll out thousands of solar-powered “postboxes of the future” around the country, which will also allow customers to post bigger parcels.

Customers will be able to post parcels as big as shoeboxes in the redesigned post boxes after a successful trial. The new postboxes will have a barcode that customers can scan, allowing them to track their parcel on the Royal Mail app.

They will feature a digital drop-down drawer, so people can send parcels as large as a shoebox without having to go to the Post Office.The new postbox design was trialled in Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire earlier this year, and will now be installed in cities including Edinburgh, Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield and Sunderland.

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Royal Mail managing director of out of home and commercial excellence Jack Clarkson 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.

“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.”

It comes as the Post Office has provided details on its proposed franchise plans for the ninth and final tranche of the last remaining 108 Directly Managed Branches which are operated by the Post Office.

A Post Office spokesperson said: “Moving to a fully franchised network is one part of enabling the Post Office to deliver a ‘New Deal for Postmasters’, helping to create a long-term, sustainable future for the Post Office.

“Our proposed franchise plan will mean customers can continue to access the same Post Office products and services at a nearby location.”