The Post Office is urging customers to send their Christmas parcels early this year, predicting Friday, 8 December, will be the busiest day across its branches nationwide.
This warning comes as a Post Office survey indicates a significant increase in Britons planning to send gifts, rising from 20 per cent last year to 33 per cent. The same poll highlighted that 34 per cent view sending festive parcels and cards as a cherished tradition.
However, only 33 per cent plan to post items by early to mid-December, with 8 per cent confessing they leave all their mailing until the final week before Christmas.
Post Office branches offer convenient drop-off and collection points for prepaid parcels, encompassing services from Royal Mail and Parcelforce, alongside Amazon, DPD, DHL, and Evri at selected locations.
Post Office mails and parcels director Candice Ohandjanian said: “This Christmas is shaping up to be one of the busiest yet, with nearly three quarters of Brits planning to buy the same number, or even more, gifts for loved ones than last year.
“And when it comes to sending those carefully chosen presents, the local Post Office remains the main place the public rely on to ensure they arrive safely.
“Whether it’s expert advice on international shipping, help with customs forms, finding the best delivery option, or simply a convenient spot to collect or drop off parcels, Post Office is here to make Christmas sending stress-free.”
The news comes as Royal Mail previously announced it will hire around 20,000 temporary workers to boost delivery operations across the Christmas period.
The new positions will be spread across two parcel hubs, four seasonal parcel sorting centres and 37 mail centres throughout the country.
It is intended to aid Royal Mail in meeting seasonal surges in demand, covering key shopping events, including Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the usual shopping and sending pre-Christmas.
Specifically, 12,000 mail centre sorting roles will be available in England, with an additional 2,000 in Scotland, 600 in Wales, and 400 in Northern Ireland. Royal Mail will also be recruiting for 3,000 delivery and collection roles across the UK, alongside 2,000 temporary HGV and MGV driver positions.
