The Post Office has signed an agreement with DPD to roll out Click and Collect services across the UK.

From next week, DPD will deliver parcels directly to Post Offices providing a convenient location for consumers to collect their purchases.

The Click and Collect service will initially be available at around 250 Post Offices this month before rolling-out to approximately 1,500 branches across the UK ahead of the peak Christmas period.

The Post Office, the UK’s largest retail network with 11,500 branches, previously only had an agreement with Royal Mail Group for parcel collections directly at its branches but has now opened up its network to external carriers for the first time in its 360-year history.

The Post Office said the partnership with DPD is a further step in its strategy to ensure the future sustainability of the network, provide an innovative offering to consumers in the fast-growing parcel market and drive footfall for Postmasters and to the High Street more broadly.

The Click and Collect market is now expected to increase as businesses implement ‘return to workplace’ policies over the coming weeks and millions of employees are less likely to work from home five days a week.

The market for Click and Collect had been growing at 14 per cent per year before the pandemic.

The partnership between Post Office and DPD will play an important role in cities and towns across the UK in reducing the environmental impact of having vans making multiple stops to drop off parcels, The Post Office said, whilst at the same time encouraging people to return to their local High Street on foot.

DPDgroup have conducted their own review of the last mile delivery and the impact of Click and Collect on the environment.

Their studies have established that there is a reduction of, on average, 63 per cent of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) in the last mile delivery when using the DPD Pickup network.

Nick Read, chief executive at the Post Office, said: “Combining the biggest physical retail network with one of Europe’s best-known logistical carriers provides greater customer convenience, footfall for Postmasters and helps people back to the High Street as Covid-19 restrictions ease.”

He added: “I’m delighted that through our partnership with DPD, customers can select their local Post Office to collect their parcels and know that they are often open longer hours, staffed by a knowledgeable Postmaster and located moments from where they live.”

Elaine Kerr, chief executive of DPD said: “This is a significant, long-term partnership between two brand leaders in the parcel industry and comes at a time when the convenience of online shopping and delivery is more valued than ever. It is great news for DPD parcel customers and for Post Office branches too.”

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