Achieving our goal
A budding footballer wasn’t kept waiting when he tracked his new boots from order to Royal Mail delivery.
Jon Nicholson, director parcels sales, was contacted by the boy’s parents to demonstrate the value we provide for all ages and communities.
‘Jon, I just wanted to relay a story of what RM parcels is really about,’ wrote the customer. ‘Last Friday, my son ordered his new football boots. All weekend he tracked his parcel across the country and on Monday morning discovered they would arrive yesterday morning before school.
‘At 8am he was sat on the stairs waiting for the postwoman who didn't even make it to the door before my son had greeted her and took the parcel from her hands. It was a bit like Christmas Day and only possible because of the service you deliver. Thanks RM.’
‘We create stories like this every day, made possible by a strong network, aided by customer focused technology,’ said Jon. ‘Let’s not forget what we’re here to do.’
As a business, we are changing to drive e-commerce growth across the UK. Initiatives like accepting e-retail parcels into our network late in the evening will help us to meet growing demand for next-day delivery.
Following an extensive review of our UK business, we have put in place a transformation plan with a renewed focus on improving service, efficiency and productivity supported by a range of new, digitally-enabled work tools and targeted investments.
As part of the ‘turnaround and grow’ plan, we are introducing a second delivery for parcels that will expand in line with demand and be fully operational by 2023-24. This second delivery will consist of next-day parcels, typically purchased online from retailers the evening before, and larger items more appropriate for van delivery. In many cases, the delivery will be less than 24 hours after the order is placed.
The move comes at a crucial time for UK online retail. Delivery in less than 24 hours is in tune with the ‘night owl’ shopping phenomenon with smartphone night shopping increasing by 33% in just one year, according to our research. Our analysis signposts that next-day parcels are expected to significantly outpace growth in other delivery time categories. This second delivery will help facilitate that growth.
