Royal Mail/Post Office click and collect

custardy

https://www.myroyalmail.com/news/national/2013/05/royal-mail-and-post-office-launch-uk’s-largest-click-and-collect-network

The rapidly expanding parcels market is at the centre of Royal Mail’s growth strategy. Now is the time for us to become more of a parcels business and grasp the parcels opportunity. Parcels already account for nearly half of Group revenues and we are targeting growth across all four of our parcels networks.

Our position as the UK’s Universal Service provider, alongside our strong brand, extensive networks and high quality of service, mean we are uniquely positioned to benefit from the rapidly growing parcels market.
Click and Collect Network

Working with the Post Office, we are launching the UK’s largest ‘click and collect’ network to support online shopping growth and provide greater choice and convenience for online retailers and their customers.

While delivery to home, or to a neighbour for safekeeping, remains the preference for most customers, for others click and collect from a local Post Office branch will provide a convenient alternative.

Post Office branches are ideal locations to provide convenient, secure parcel collection facilities with 97 per cent of the population living within three miles of a Post Office branch. Around 10,500 branches will be taking part in the initiative.

A number of Post Offices will offer the service during extended opening hours of up to 7am to 11pm, seven days a week, rising to 4,500 branches later this year.
Responding to online growth

A recent Euromonitor survey found the percentage of online, non-food retail spend in the UK is higher than any other country surveyed. Online sales increased by 14.9 per cent to £31.1bn in 2012, making up 10.6 per cent of total retail sales.

By 2017, online will account for 15 per cent (£50bn) of all retail expenditure.*

Royal Mail is currently talking to a number of large online retailers about integrating this service into their websites later this year. Royal Mail plans to extend the service to smaller retailers in 2014.

Click and collect enables shoppers to choose a location for an item to be delivered to, for collection at their convenience. It is the latest addition to our range of convenient delivery options that shoppers can choose from to receive items bought online.

Nick Landon, Managing Director of Royal Mail Parcels, said: ‘Royal Mail is a key partner for online retailers and we are well placed to benefit from the growth in e-retailing.

‘Home shoppers already love our services. The click and collect initiative will help online retailers give shoppers even greater control over the delivery of their items. We are committed to developing services to ensure we meet the changing demands of online retailers and their customers.'

Martin Moran, Commercial Director, Post Office Ltd, said: 'With the largest retail network across the UK the Post Office offers the most convenient collection point, wherever people live or work. We are modernising our branches to make it as easy as possible for customers to access our services. With many of branches now open for longer the Post Office’s unrivalled network provides an ideal location for online shoppers to collect their purchases at a time and place which suits them best.'

*(Source: Verdict UK Retail Review and Sector Forecasts to 2017)

Not a positive and customer friendly idea from RM :eek:

soolin

Not a positive and customer friendly idea from RM :eek:

It sounds so terribly reasonable, I keep wondering what I have missed!

custardy

soolin wrote: »

It sounds so terribly reasonable, I keep wondering what I have missed!

TBH they had this with Local collect 2, years ago
however it was flawed.
the system was attempt delivery and then take it to the designated PO on the package
problem was,what happens when the postie is on foot and they pick a PO 10 miles away :rotfl:
sadly knowing RM,they will find a way to !!!! it up!

Obviously_the_best

I think it's a great idea, however I can see my PayPal seller protection flying out of the window as I speak.

Irn-Bru-Kid

As if the queues and length of time you spend in the PO isn't bad enough. Will they have a separate desk for collection items? Or will the queues just get longer?

I think we all know the answer to that one.

custardy

Irn-Bru-Kid wrote: »

As if the queues and length of time you spend in the PO isn't bad enough. Will they have a separate desk for collection items? Or will the queues just get longer?

I think we all know the answer to that one.

well I assume the POs will get a payment for this
I know of one PO in Edinburgh that makes qite a bit from the local collect £1.50 fee
so it may actually helo towards staffing costs
of course with the break up of the network,who knows what will come