Press release -
Post Office Trials New Home Shopping Returns Drop Off Points At Over 150 New Locations
- New Drop Off points used to return home shopping via Royal Mail Pre-Paid Returns service
- This is in addition to the 11,500 branches already operating this service offering new customers access to the growing need for the service
- Almost three quarters (71 per cent¹) of online shoppers say Post Office branches are their preferred returns point
- Post Office is the UK’s largest and most trusted posting, collection and returns network
- Almost 2000 branches now open on Sundays and 5000 branches offer longer hours for customers to collect or return home shopping
- Additional drop off points to make it easier for customers to return items during busy Christmas period
The Post Office is changing, undertaking the biggest modernisation programme in retail history and introducing longer opening hours across its network. Almost 2000 of its branches are now open on Sundays, and over 5000 branches offer extended hours for customers totalling an extra 150,000 extra hours a week.
Nick Landon, Managing Director of Royal Mail Parcels, said: “Post Office’s trial supports Royal Mail’s drive to be customer responsive and provide more options for our parcel customers, including online shoppers. Online shoppers want as easy a returns experience as possible and Post Office’s trial provides even greater flexibility for customers to access Royal Mail’s Pre-paid Returns service made available by many online retailers.
How the Service works
Customers wishing to use any of these drop off points simply peel off the pre-paid Royal Mail returns label sent with their purchase and stick it on the front of the parcel.
They can drop off the parcel at any of these drop off points (or at any Post Office branch) and pick up a certificate of posting.
Posting, Collecting and Returning online orders at the Post OfficePost Office is transforming its network and is the number one access point for mail services. More than 5,000 of its branches offer extended opening hours for home shopping customers. With thousands of branches making it easier for shoppers to collect their shopping on Sundays, and from early in the morning until late in the evening the Post Office is now offering an extra 150,000 opening hours for customers of the Local Collect service.
The Post Office is modernising its range of mail services. It has introduced over 500 self-service kiosks into its larger branches.
The Post Office and Royal Mail recently announced that its ‘click & collect’ service, Local Collect will be available to 20,000 SME customers. The service enables the UK’s small and medium sized online retailers to offer customers a collection service from any of 10,500 Post Office branches. Over 50,000 SMEs have signed up to the Post Office’s fast track Drop & Go mails service since its launch last year.
Ends
Notes to editors
¹ Royal Mail Delivery Matters Report 2014
² IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index (Dec 2013)
³ UK e-retail market growth, Verdict Research (August 2014)
The Post Office, now independent of Royal Mail, is the largest retail network in the UK with over 11,500 branches. Some 99.7% of people in the UK live within three miles of a Post Office service.
The Post Office is the number one Mails retailer in the UK offering unrivalled customer convenience for Mails and Home shopping customers.
With over three million customers the Post Office is also the UK’s leading challenger provider of Financial Services offering a wide range of accessible and value for money products. It is number one in the travel money market and winner of British Travel Awards Best Provider of Foreign Currency for seven consecutive years, showing customers value and convenience.
Post Office is a core partner of The Great British High St Forum, proud to support regeneration and growth in communities and businesses across the
Topics
Categories
About the Post Office
The Post Office (Post Office Limited) has an unrivalled national network of over 11,500 branches across the UK, more than all the high street banks combined, and sits at the heart of communities in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England. The Post Office has made a commitment to maintaining its network of branches at its current size and reach. It provides around 170 different products and services spanning financial services including savings, insurance, loans, mortgages and credit cards; Government services; telephony; foreign currency; travel insurance and mail services.
The Post Office serves over 17 million customers a week and a third of small businesses. Some 99.7% of the total population live within three miles of a post office and over 97% live with one mile of a post office. For many rural communities, the post office is the only retail outlet. Post Offices branches remain highly valued and trusted, and are the focal point of many communities. For more information, visit http://www.postoffice.co.uk/.
Please note the Press Office team can only deal with enquiries from the media. Unfortunately they do not have access to customer information so can not help with customer enquiries.
If you have an enquiry regarding any Post Office product or service please visit postoffice.co.uk or call 0845Local call rates apply. Call costs may vary depending on your service provider. Calls may be monitored or recorded for training and compliance purposes. 611 2970.
