Customers will be able to return parcels at the door to Royal Mail postal workers as the company launches a major new service.
Royal Mail Parcel Collect will see postmen and postwomen collect parcels directly from the doorstep or from a safe place.
The collection will be priced at 72p per parcel, which is charged in addition to the costs of the postage itself. The service will also be available for prepaid returns for a cost of 60p per item.
Royal Mail workers can collect up to five parcels per address, with the service available Monday to Saturday.
if the retailer has opted into and pays for Parcel Collect they will receive a notification confirming collection. If the returning customer paid for the Parcel Collect element, they will receive an email notification confirming collection.
Nick Landon, chief commercial officer at Royal Mail, said: “Royal Mail Parcel Collect is a fantastic step forward for all of our customers. It makes it easier to use our services than ever before.
“Whether you’re up against time and working from home, making a return, selling online or sending a gift to make someone’s day, Royal Mail Parcel Collect is here to help. The launch of Parcel Collect is part of our commitment to continuously make our services better and more convenient.”
The move comes as Royal Mail looks to reorient its business towards parcels rather than letters amidst huge growth in ecommerce, accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The company recently announced it would introduce four new fully automated parcel sorting machines, adding nearly three quarters of a million parcels to its daily capacity. The new machines will be rolled out in distribution centres in Tyneside, Medway, Nottingham and Southampton beginning next year. There are already 20 fully automated parcel machines across 16 mail centres in the country.
