The Post Office has agreed a partnership with courier firm DPD to provide hundreds of click & collect locations across the UK.
The deal means that DPD can deliver parcels directly to Post Office branches from where customers can collect their online purchases.
The service will initially be made available at around 250 Post Offices this month before being rolled out to around 1,500 branches ahead of the peak Christmas trading period. If customers making a purchase online choose their local Post Office as the collection point, DPD will deliver parcels directly to the Post Office and the postmaster will process customer collections at the counter.
Nick Read, Chief Executive at the Post Office, said: “Combining the biggest physical retail network with one of the Europe’s best-known logistical carriers provides greater customer convenience, footfall for Postmasters and helps people back to the High Street as Covid-19 restrictions ease. I’m delighted that through our partnership with DPD, customers can select their local Post Office to collect their parcels and know that they are often open longer hours, staffed by a knowledgeable Postmaster and located moments from where they live.”
Elaine Kerr, Chief Executive of DPD, added: “This is a significant, long-term partnership between two brand leaders in the parcel industry and comes at a time when the convenience of online shopping and delivery is more valued than ever.
“Our aim is always to get parcels delivered safely, on time and provide recipients with as much choice as possible. This partnership enables us to offer more options at the point of purchase.”
The Post Office currently has 11,500 branches. It previously only had an agreement with Royal Mail Group for parcel collections directly at its branches but has now opened up its network to external carriers for the first time in its 360-year history.
