Autumn 2009

Consumers having home shopping delivered by Parcelforce Worldwide (which is not affected by the current strike action at Royal Mail) are to be given the option to have their goods delivered to the nearest post office as their first choice, rather than just as a fallback following a failed delivery, as at present.

In addition, the organisation is developing a system that will allow it to meet a demand from retailers to offer deferred, day-definite deliveries.

Although Parcelforce Worldwide can already handle day-definite deliveries, at the moment the retailer has to retain product ordered in this way until delivery is due, then release it into the Parcelforce system.

'But smaller retailers don't always have the capacity to do this,' says sales and marketing director Dick Stead. 'We will aim to offer limited storage capacity for customers who require this option, but don't have the resources to provide it themselves.'

 

The organisation is launching the post office delivery service as an extension to the existing Local Collect service. Whilst first-choice post office deliveries have always been kept in the frame within the Local Collect portfolio, this formalised arrangement marks a significant step forward, and keeps the service in line with (or ahead of) alternative delivery offers being developed elsewhere in the market.