In October 2020, Royal Mail launched a parcel pick-up service across the UK in a shake-up of the daily round. Since launching, postmen and postwomen have collected over one million parcels, with growth accelerating during the festive period and following the reintroduction of lockdown measures.
As well as offering even higher levels of convenience, the introduction of Parcel Collect has meant that online sellers and online shoppers no longer need to leave the comfort of their home if they want to mail or return a pre-paid item by post.
Postmen and postwomen will collect a parcel from the customer’s door or nominated safe place for 72p per parcel, in addition to postage costs. Parcel Collect is also available for pre-paid return items at a cost of 60p per item.
Royal Mail can collect up to five parcels at a time. Parcel Collect is available six days a week* and can be booked up to five days in advance and up to midnight the day before.
In order to use the service, customers simply need to ensure they have already paid the correct postage to send their item. If an item does not have pre-paid postage, customers are able to pay for their postage online using Click & Drop available by visiting send.royalmail.com or via the Royal Mail App and opt for ‘Parcel Collect’. They will then be able to work out the correct cost of postage for their item and print out a pre-paid label which is fixed to the package. When the item gets collected, the customer will receive an email notification that acts as proof of postage.
Nick Landon, Chief Commercial Officer at Royal Mail, said: “The introduction of Parcel Collect has been incredibly successful, with one million parcels a fantastic milestone to reach in just five months. Parcel Collect is part of our commitment to continuously make our services more convenient for customers and makes it easier to use Royal Mail’s services than ever before.
“We understand the important role we play in keeping the UK connected at this challenging time. Our posties have always been a vital part of every community and that has never been truer than over the last year. Everyone at Royal Mail is proud to help keep the country safe and connected.”
(Lead image: Royal Mail)