Royal Mail to grow out-of-home network to 45,000 locations by 2030

Royal Mail has announced ambitious growth plans for its out-of-home (OOH) parcel points as it aims to double its network from 24,000 locations to 46,000 by 2030. This will mean customers living in urban areas will be no more than five minutes’ walk from a locker, shop or parcel postbox, and five and 15 minutes maximum drivetime for suburban and rural areas respectively.

The expansion of its multi-channel network over the last two years is part of Royal Mail’s drive to meet growing demand for people wanting to drop off and collect parcels outside of the home.

Alistair Cochrane, interim chief executive at Royal Mail, said, “Royal Mail is committed to being the UK’s most convenient delivery company. This ambitious new target strengthens our leading position, with the largest parcel point network in Britain, giving customers even more convenience and choice.

“For many, nothing beats the ease of home delivery or collection, but we’re seeing a clear shift toward more people choosing lockers and shops. Our strategy is to maximize our own network and work with partners to ensure we are always the nearest and simplest option for sending, collecting and returning parcels.”

Multi-channel strategy

To achieve its target of 46,000 OOH locations, Royal Mail will continue to expand its multi-channel approach, including:

• Accelerating the rollout of parcel lockers, working with strategic partners to secure prime, high-footfall locations.
• Growing the Royal Mail Shop brand – nearly 8,000 convenience stores will feature the brand and offer parcel postage and stamps over the counter.
• Maintaining existing parcel points, including customer service points at delivery offices and through its ongoing partnership with 11,500 Post Office branches.
• Exploring new innovations, such as self-service kiosks, partnerships with retailers and a broader rollout of parcel dropboxes.

The parcel points are in addition to Royal Mail’s 115,000 postboxes, which can be used for parcels small enough to fit through a letterbox, while 3,500 ‘postboxes of the future’ are being modernized to accept larger parcels up to the size of a shoebox.

In related news, Royal Mail has also recently announced a new partnership with TikTok Shop, which will enable vendors to access services including parcel collections and drop-off options at Royal Mail’s network of parcel points