The Royal Mail hopes to help small businesses and eBayers by launching its first ever parcel postboxes in the UK.
There will be specially adapted parcel postboxes where marketplace sellers and small business owners on sites such as Etsy and eBay will be able to post prepaid parcels. This is the first major change to the traditional postbox since it was introduced 160 years ago.
They are currently trialling the idea in the Midlands where the postboxes will allow customers to post parcels in a securely designed, widened slot, exactly the same way we would usually post a letter.
The trial launched in the middle of August in Northampton and Leicester and it will run through until November. So far 30 postboxes have been adapted for this new service.
Royal Mail will decide whether or not to roll the scheme out across the UK when it has reviewed customer feedback.
The scheme aims to help small businesses who don’t want themselves or their staff to waste time queueing in busy Post Offices around the country, but it will not accept any returns from online shoppers. So regular consumers will still have to take their returns to the Post Office to go back to the company they purchased them from. We are sure however in the future this will be an idea that will be welcomed by consumers.
A spokesman for the Royal Mail has said that the trial of parcel postboxes is just one of the ways they “are looking to make the lives of the customers easier, giving them more options that suit how they want to do business.”
They have also said that it is aimed at small business that may run from home whilst still maintaining another job, so Post Office hours aren’t always suitable for them.
Let us know if you need help with anything to do with your small business’ accounts by contacting our Milton Keynes accountants on 01908 046964.