Royal Mail launches UK’s first ever parcel post-box
News • 29th Aug, 18 • 0 Comments
The iconic red post-box is facing its first dramatic alteration since its introduction 160 years ago! The new look is to allow the inclusion of parcels to help boost business for the ever-increasing online shopping market and offers many benefits for both business-to-business deliveries, business-to-customer deliveries and aid customers in the returning of items back to where they purchased. Royal Mail are experimenting with 30 of the new designs on a trial-basis in the Midlands, and we have compiled a list of the benefits that these new post-boxes offer - here’s hoping they stay!
Time saving – avoid the stress of queueing
First and foremost, these new post-boxes will remove the middle man (i.e. the post office!) which means no queueing! Time can be well-spent dropping off your post to a handy enhanced post-box around the corner and actually getting to spend your lunch hour eating your lunch!
An increase in online personal selling
There is a continued increase of the public selling their items on eBay and Facebook groups as well as the growth of Amazon entrepreneurs, and these post boxes will assist sellers with the convenience of dispatching their items individually rather than waiting for multiple orders with which to go to the post office or use a courier.
A helping hand for returning
According to recent figures around 1 in 4 items ordered by online shoppers are returned, so this scheme is to help online stores, delivery firms and high-street click and collect services to streamline the process. It will make it easier for customers to return unwanted items although it is initially aimed at small businesses who want to avoid employees wasting their time queuing up at the post office.
Send larger post with ease
The new size of post-box with wider apertures, will allow packages larger than a letter but small enough that they needn’t be hand delivered, to be deposited in a Royal Mail parcel post-box ready for the next collection – the same way that customers would currently post a letter.
More choice
This new adaptation of the current Royal Mail post-box provides consumers with more options for how they post their mail. Now it is up to customers how and where you post your mail, as the plans to expand and add these post-boxes around the UK will offer more choice of location, so customers needn’t go far to find a relevant post office, they can use the local parcel post-box.
Currently, the trial is taking place with 17 parcel post boxes in Northampton and 13 in Leicester. After the trial is complete, Royal Mail will review consumer feedback and decide whether to launch the parcel post-boxes across the UK.
If all goes well, there could be hundreds of these new parcel post-boxes around the UK just in time for Christmas!
For more information on the postage requirements for Royal Mail deliveries visit Royal Mail’s website and if you’d like help to find the right franking solution for your business with a no obligation quote, simply call our friendly, knowledgeable team at FP Mailing L&C on 01925 820 638 or complete our contact form here; we’ll be happy to help.
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