LONDON (UK) – In a bid to capitalise on online shopping boom fuelled by the pandemic, Royal Mail on Wednesday came out with a new parcel pick-up service across the country. This enables postal employees to collect and deliver items on their daily rounds.
Under Chairman Keith Williams, the former postal monopoly has been pushing through changes to transform itself into a parcel-led business to shore up its long-term profitability.
The new service, called “parcel collect”, means that online sellers and shoppers will no longer need to leave their homes if they want to mail or return a pre-paid item by post, said Royal Mail, which is listed as one of Amazon UK’s carriers.
For 72 pence a parcel, plus postage costs, postal workers will collect up to five parcels per address from the customer’s home or a nominated place, the company said. Parcel collect is also available for pre-paid return items at 60 pence per item.
Earlier this year, the company reported a 38% surge in April-June parcel shipments as lockdowns drove a surge in online shopping.