Royal Mail and Post office to launch “UK’s largest” ‘click and collect’ service for small businesses

Royal Mail has announced that it is to launch its ‘click and collect service’ Local Collect for small businesses later this year, in order to support the growth of online retailers and e-commerce.

Working with the Post Office, the delivery company intends to roll-out the initiative with 10,500 post office branches across the UK and says the launch will provide a “convenient alternative delivery option”.

Click and collect enables online retailers to offer shoppers the opportunity to order items for collection at their local branch, and is a service which is expected to “rise in demand” following stats by the Verdict UK Retail Review which estimated online sales will account for £50bn, 15%, of all retail expenditure by 2017.

Royal Mail Parcels managing director, Nick Landon, said: “Royal Mail is a key partner for online retailers and we are well placed to benefit from the growth in e-retailing.

“The click and collect initiative will help online retailers give shoppers even greater control over the delivery of their items. We are committed to developing services to ensure we meet the changing demands of online retailers and their customers.”

Martin Moran, Post Office Ltd commercial director, continued:

“With many of branches now open for longer the Post Office’s unrivalled network provides an ideal location for online shoppers to collect their purchases at a time and place which suits them best.”