ROYAL Mail is making a major change to its services, and it’s good news for those who regularly shop online.
Shoppers who rely on Royal Mail to send and receive online orders will be able to use parcel lockers for the first time next month.
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The lockers will initially allow customers to drop off parcels before expanding to offer customer collections too.
The first lockers will open in the Coventry area in April before being rolled out nationwide.
Over 1,500 lockers are expected by the end of the year, with 3,000 planned across the UK.
The partnership with Quadient adds to the recent announcement that Royal Mail customers will be able to use up to 5,000 Collect+ stores to drop off and collect parcels.
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Together, this will increase the number of locations where customers can drop off parcels to more than 21,000, including 3,000 lockers, 11,500 Post Office branches, 5,000 Collect+ stores, 1,200 Royal Mail Customer Service Points and 1,200 parcel postboxes.
Martin Seidenberg, group chief executive of Royal Mail, said: “Our expansion into lockers with 24/7 access will give our customers an even greater choice of more than 21,000 locations to drop off parcels.
“We want to make it as convenient as possible for customers to send and return parcels, fitting it in around their daily routines with a range of options for different lifestyles.
“We are continually finding new ways to improve our services, including more online postage options through our website and app, 24/7 drop off at locations like our parcel postboxes, use of Collect+ stores and Post Offices, and collection from home through Royal Mail Parcel Collect.”
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The news comes just weeks after the delivery giant said the price of first-class stamps will increase by 10p to £1.35 and second-class stamps will increase by 10p to 85p.
A year ago, a first-class stamp cost 95p before being hiked to £1.10 in April 2023, before another 15p increase in October last year.
The increase comes after warnings by the loss-making firm over the impact of higher costs and lower demand for letters.
Royal Mail said the price increase will come into force on April 2.
Last year, industry regulator Ofcom said increases to the price of second-class stamps would be capped at the rate of inflation until 2029 in an effort to keep the sending of letters affordable.
Stamps can be bought individually if you buy them at a Post Office counter.
Otherwise, you can typically buy them in sets of multiple stamps.
How are postage prices decided?
ROYAL Mail typically increases the price of stamps annually.
Normally, it gives customers advance warning of around a month before pushing up prices.
This year the hike was announced in March.
Royal Mail said it is hiking the price of postage due to the decline in the number of people sending letters.
The number of letters being posted has dropped 60% since 2005 and around 20% since the start of the pandemic.
It has also blamed rising inflation for the increase.
The Royal Mail charges more for first class stamps as they ensure your letter gets to its destination faster.
Generally, a letter with a first class stamp arrives at the intended address the next working day.
It takes up to three working days for second class items to arrive.
Depending on the size of your letter, you may have to pay more for a first or second class stamp.
Royal Mail ousted old-style stamps and replaced them with barcoded ones in July last year.
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The business said the move would make letters more secure.
Anyone who still has these old-style stamps and uses them may have to pay a surcharge.
This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk
