International Distribution Services (IDS), owner of Royal Mail, has acquired a 49% stake in Collect+, as the company targets making the sending and returning of parcels more convenient for its customers.
Following the investment, almost 8,000 Collect+ convenience stores will feature Royal Mail Shop branding. They will open for extended hours, including evenings and weekends, selling Royal Mail postage and fulfilling demand for face-to-face parcel services on the high street.
Selling postage over the counter gives customers the option of paying when they get to the shop rather than beforehand online.
The service is live in 500 shops and will be rolled out more widely in the coming months, Royal Mail says.
Alistair Cochrane, interim chief executive of Royal Mail, said, “The launch of the Royal Mail Shop brand creates a new and improved high-street destination for all our customers’ parcel needs in one location. With postage available to buy in store, and opening hours including evenings and weekends, the shops are giving customers greater flexibility in how they collect, send and return their parcels.
“This investment is one of the ways we’re making Royal Mail more convenient,” he continued. “We have the UK’s largest network of out-of-home parcel points – from lockers to solar-powered postboxes – and we’re focused on being the nearest and simplest choice for our customers.”
Royal Mail and Collect+ first partnered in May 2024 to meet rising consumer demand for convenient parcel drop-off and collection points.
Nick Wiles, chief executive of PayPoint, commented, “We are delighted that Royal Mail has invested into the Collect+ business.
“The addition of Royal Mail over-the-counter services and Royal Mail Shop branding is an exciting development for our retailer network and is another example of how we deliver vital community services across the UK, including local banking, parcels and broader access to cash services.”
In August, Vinted became Royal Mail’s first partner to offer its customers collection. More of Royal Mail’s retail partners will reportedly soon offer collection under the new Royal Mail Shop brand.
The new Royal Mail Shop outlets are part of Royal Mail’s expanded network of almost 24,000 Parcel Points, including 2,000 lockers, 11,500 Post Office branches, 1,200 Royal Mail Customer Service Points and 1,400 parcel postboxes – said to be the largest multichannel parcel network in the UK.
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