ROYAL Mail has introduced a massive shake-up of its Sunday parcel delivery service in a bid to try and keep pace with online rivals.
As of yesterday, the companies‘ Sunday delivery service was made available to over 12,000 of its online retailer customers, a giant increase from the current 75 large online retailers.
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Now, any retailer or marketplace seller using the Royal Mail Tracked24 service will be able to provide a next day delivery for items ordered on a Saturday.
Internet purchases surged during the pandemic but demand has eased off with the end of lockdown restrictions.
But the number of letters being sent has dwindled in recent decades as more mail is sent digitally.
Nick Landon, chief commercial officer at Royal Mail, said: “We all know how convenient it is to order something online that will arrive the next day.
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“It frees up time with the family, in the garden, or enjoying your favourite sport.
“Now you can do the same when ordering from thousands of smaller online retailers using our Tracked24 service, seven days a week.”
He added: “Royal Mail is transforming to make sure we deliver what you need now and in the future.
“This change will help thousands of businesses to offer the most convenient delivery options to their customers and to compete and grow.
“The UK already trusts Royal Mail to deliver their purchases six-days-a-week both quickly and conveniently.
“From now on you can trust us to do just the same seven days a week.”
Royal Mail is currently in negotiations with unions over workers’ pay.
It is offering a 5.5% pay rise if targets and conditions are met but this is opposed by the Communication Workers Union.
But it has also asked workers to commit to Sunday shifts to allow the new parcel service to be rolled out.
Landon said the current roll-out had been agreed with unions.
He added the Sunday delivery plan so far did not include letters but added he would not ‘say no to expanding’ the service if there was a demand for it.
Earlier this year, people were outraged about plans for new barcoded stamps that could leave first and second class stamp invalid.
And last month, a price increase saw the cost of a first class stamp reach 95p.
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