Post Office has secured an agreement with Evri to trial in-branch sales as well as parcel pick-ups and drop-offs, providing a safe and convenient location for customers to send, collect and return their parcels.
This is the first time in the Post Office’s 360-year history that it will be directly selling end-to-end delivery products that are not fulfilled by Royal Mail.
Additionally, it is the fourth contract that the Post Office has secured with a big carrier since ending its exclusive parcel handling relationship with Royal Mail in March 2021, and the first to offer in branch sales of additional products.
Post Office has recently struck deals with Amazon, DPD, DHL Express, for Click and Collect services and now Evri with their products being sold in-branch. The post company said these agreements are a continued demonstration of its strategy to open its network to external carriers in order to compete in the fast-growing parcels market and drive footfall for Postmasters.
The trial will use Evri’s ParcelShop self-service device, which will have a dedicated area within branch to enhance the customer experience. It will take place in 50 Post Offices before Christmas.
Martijn De Lange, CEO of Evri, said: “Our ParcelShops are key in our commitment to offering consumers both convenience and choice, enabling them to send, return and collect parcels at a time and place that suits them. These new locations will complement our existing nationwide network of 10,000+ locations and give Post Office customers a new fast, reliable and cost-effective way to send and receive their parcels. We are excited as to where our partnership might lead moving forward.”
With 93% of the population living within one mile of a Post Office, there are over 11,500 branches most of which operate longer opening hours than traditional retailers, in-branch pick-up and drop-off is often a more flexible option for consumers, who may not always be at home to receive deliveries.
The partnership will also encourage people to return to their local high street and reduces the environmental impact of vans making multiple stops to drop off parcels.
Nick Read, chief executive at the Post Office, added: “Evri is a household name and we’re delighted to be working with such an established and successful company to expand the wide-range of parcel services that we can offer customers.
“Last January we had no carrier partnerships, and we’ve now grown our Click and Collect capabilities fivefold, which is a real testament to the size and reach of the Post Office network and the accessibility it affords consumers.”
