Royal Mail sees double as it looks to ramp up nationwide roll-out of locker, shop and parcel postbox network

Royal Mail is looking to almost double its number of out of home parcel points - including shops, lockers and parcel postboxes - to 45,000 locations by 2030.

The company has been expanding its multi-channel network over the last two years, launching parcel lockers and more recently its Royal Mail Shop brand, as part of a move to meet growing demand for people wanting to drop off and collect parcels outside of the home. This is driven by the continued rise of online shopping and the rapid growth of marketplaces like Vinted.

With the planned expansion, customers in urban areas will be within a five-minute walk of a Royal Mail parcel point, with targets of five and 15 minutes maximum drivetime for suburban and rural areas respectively.

Parcel points are in addition to its 115,000 postboxes, which can be used for parcels small enough to fit through a letterbox, whilst 3,500 postboxes are being modernised to accept larger parcels up to the size of a shoebox.

Alistair Cochrane, Interim Chief Executive at Royal Mail, says: “We are committed to being the UK’s most convenient delivery company. This ambitious new target strengthens our leading position, with the largest parcel point network in Britain, giving customers even more convenience and choice.”

“For many, nothing beats the ease of home delivery or collection, but we’re seeing a clear shift towards more people choosing lockers and shops. Our strategy is to maximise our own network and work with partners to ensure we are always the nearest and simplest option for sending, collecting, and returning parcels.”

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

OOH delivery will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards. which are now closed for entries with our finalists and shortlists being announced last week, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.