Retail-friendly updates to delivery services announced by Royal Mail

Monday, August 6, 2018 - 14:00 by Graham Miller

The UK’s premier provider of postal services has revealed a number of important updates to the features of its delivery platform, most of which are aimed at appealing to retailers offering shopping online.

Drapers reports that there are several important improvements on the cards, such as the ability for customers to get a text message if a package is left with a neighbour, included in which will be the actual address so that they do not have to use guesswork to collect it.

Furthermore, there are plans to do away with the need for customers to take a physical paper card with them to their local depot when they need to pick up a parcel if they were not at home when delivery was attempted. 

By making more of the process electronic, consumers who love carrying out safe shopping online will benefit from a streamlined approach. Royal Mail will remain relevant and competitive in a world in which many of its rivals have already adopted this type of technology.

66 per cent of people questioned in a recent survey commissioned by the company itself said that they valued the ability to check up on exactly where a parcel is at any given time whilst it is being shipped to them.

Companies such as DPD offer comprehensive electronic tracking for customers, so it makes sense for Royal Mail to follow the same process for all of the parcels it handles, rather than simply for its most secure shipping options.

Meanwhile, retailers will be more likely to partner with Royal Mail if they know that it will be able to provide up to the minute information as to the location of the product they have purchased, reducing the likelihood that a delivery will be missed.