In a significant move aimed at enhancing customer experience and convenience, the Post Office has entered into a partnership with leading parcel delivery company DPD. This collaboration is set to introduce an innovative Buy-In-Branch parcel service, strategically timed to begin in select branches during the peak Christmas delivery season. This service is designed to complement the Post Office’s recent initiative, Parcels Online, which allows customers to compare and purchase shipping options online before dropping off parcels at Post Office locations.
For the first time in chosen branches, Post Office patrons will have the flexibility to walk up to a counter and opt for DPD’s services to dispatch their parcels. This development is a clear indication of the Post Office’s commitment to diversifying its offerings, reinforcing its aim to establish itself as a versatile hub for customers. The service is tailored to cater to the varying preferences of customers, ensuring that they can select a delivery carrier that best aligns with their specific needs.
Elaine Kerr, CEO of DPD UK, articulated the mutual benefits of this enhanced partnership: “Buy-in-Branch extends our working relationship with the Post Office and will help provide more choice and convenience for UK parcel shippers. DPD parcel recipients can already collect their parcels from Post Office branches and regard them as safe and trusted locations for a wide range of services. The new service will help reinforce the unique position the branches have and, for the first time, give face-to-face parcel customers genuine choice over how they ship.”
Expressing similar sentiments, Neill O’Sullivan, MD of Parcels and Mails at Post Office, stated: “Post Office is innovating to meet changing customer preferences and the increasingly competitive market. Our goal is to deliver unmatched access to parcel services, addressing the needs of businesses and retail customers, both now and in the future. Our Buy-in-Branch parcel service will not only widen delivery choice for our customers, but our in-person service provided by our dedicated Postmasters will also give them additional peace of mind knowing their parcels will be taken care of and arrive safely.”
This launch is part of a larger Mails Strategy by the Post Office, which has already seen the introduction of thousands of new carrier opportunities within its UK branch network. These include the establishment of Click & Collect, Customer Drop Off, and Customer Return points.
