Royal Mail has announced a new milestone goal to almost double its number of out of home parcel points – including shops, lockers and parcel postboxes – to 45,000 locations by 2030, reinforcing its commitment to making parcel collection, sending and returns as convenient as possible.
The company has rapidly expanded its multi-channel network over the last two years, launching parcel lockers and more recently its Royal Mail Shop brand, as part of a drive to meet growing demand for people wanting to drop off and collect parcels outside of the home.
With the planned expansion, customers in urban areas will be within a five-minute walk of a Royal Mail parcel point, with targets of five and 15 minutes maximum drivetime for suburban and rural areas respectively.
Parcel points are in addition to Royal Mail’s 115,000 postboxes, which can be used for parcels small enough to fit through a letterbox, whilst 3,500 postboxes of the future are being modernised to accept larger parcels up to the size of a shoebox.
Multi-channel strategy
To achieve its target, Royal Mail will continue to expand its multi-channel approach, including:
- Accelerating the rollout of parcel lockers, working with strategic partners to secure prime, high-footfall locations.
- Growing the Royal Mail Shop brand—nearly 8,000 convenience stores will feature the brand and offer parcel postage and stamps over the counter.
- Maintaining existing parcel points, including customer service points at delivery offices and through its ongoing partnership with 11,500 Post Office branches.
- Exploring new innovations, such as self-service kiosks, partnerships with retailers, and a broader rollout of parcel dropboxes.
Growing customer demand
Royal Mail’s focus on expanding its multi-channel network reflects changing customer behaviour, driven by the continued rise of online shopping and the rapid growth of marketplaces like Vinted.
Currently, around 15% of parcels in the UK are delivered to out-of-home parcel points—a figure expected to rise to around one-third within five years.
Locker usage is also on the rise, with 40% of UK adults having used one in the past year.
Alistair Cochrane, interim chief executive at Royal Mail, said: “Royal Mail is committed to being the UK’s most convenient delivery company. This ambitious new target strengthens our leading position, with the largest parcel point network in Britain, giving customers even more convenience and choice.
“For many, nothing beats the ease of home delivery or collection, but we’re seeing a clear shift towards more people choosing lockers and shops. Our strategy is to maximise our own network and work with partners to ensure we are always the nearest and simplest option for sending, collecting, and returning parcels.”
