Royal Mail has announced that it is rolling out 3,500 solar-powered ‘postboxes of the future’ across the UK following a successful pilot earlier this year.
These new postboxes, which will be introduced over the coming months, feature a solar panel, a barcode scanner and a digitally-activated drop-down drawer for larger parcels.
The barcode scanner and drop-down drawer allow customers to use postboxes to send and and return labelled parcels up to the size of a shoebox for the first time.
Both the scanner and drawer are powered by a solar panel, positioned due south for optimal sunlight. A separate letter slot in the new postboxes will allow customers to post letters as they always have done.
Customers can also request proof of posting, and track their parcel using the Royal Mail app. This is also available for smaller parcels at any of the UK’s 115,000 postboxes.
Originally piloted in Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire in April this year, the new postboxes are now being rolled out across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Manchester, Edinburgh, Nottingham, Sheffield and Sunderland amongst the first cities to benefit from the introduction of these postboxes.
Jack Clarkson, managing director of out-of-home and commercial excellence at Royal Mail, commented: “We are all sending and returning more parcels than ever before. This trend will only continue as online shopping shows no signs of slowing, particularly with the boom of second-hand marketplaces.
“There are 115,000 postboxes in the UK located within half a mile of 98% of addresses, making them by far the most convenient network of parcel drop-off points in the UK. Our message is clear, if you have a Royal Mail label on your parcel, and it fits, put it in a postbox and we’ll do the rest.”
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This new design of the iconic red postbox, which Royal Mail claims is ‘the biggest redesign in its 175-year history’, comes as the company continues to prioritise convenience, ensuring that customers can send, return and collect parcels in ways that suit them.
In addition to home delivery and collection of parcels, there are now more than 23,500 locations where Royal Mail customers can send, return and collect parcels. These include 2,000 parcel lockers, 7,500 Collect+ stores, 11,500 Post Office branches, 1,200 Royal Mail Customer Service Points and 1,400 parcel postboxes.
