Royal Mail to start Sunday delivery service

Royal Mail is to trial a Sunday delivery service for parcels to address the growing demand for goods ordered online.

Later this summer it plans to open around 100 offices on a Sunday afternoon for customers to collect their parcels, extending the current six-days-a-week service.

Only the delivery offices with the highest parcel volumes across the UK will be taking part in the initiative.

The company will also try out parcel deliveries to addresses that are within the M25 motorway.

Royal Mail’s chief executive Moya Greene said: “Through these new Sunday services we are exploring ways to improve our flexibility and provide more options for people to receive items they have ordered online. The support of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) has enabled us to respond quickly to a changing market.”

CWU deputy general secretary Dave Ward said: “Royal Mail’s announcement about expanding delivery and collection services to seven days a week is an exciting innovation which we welcome.”

Royal Mail’s express delivery service, Parcelforce Worldwide, which deals with larger and more valuable parcels, is also going to offer a Sunday service to retailers from June. This is going to be up to the retailer to decide whether to offer it to customers.

The BBC’s John Moylan states that competitor firms, including Hermes and DPD, have already announced their plans to deliver on Sundays and that a few have been undercutting Royal Mail, which increased the price of posting letters and parcels earlier this year.

Royal Mail was privatised last year and the firm is due to announce its annual results on Thursday.

Roland Shaw