Royal Mail has confirmed it will slash the amount of time it holds parcels at local collection points, with the change taking effect from Sunday. Items delivered to a Post Office branch or a Royal Mail Parcelshop at the request of either the sender or recipient will only be available for collection for 10 days, down from the current 18-day window.
This reduction of eight days applies to items specifically selected for delivery to a Post Office or Parcelshop at the checkout, as well as parcels redirected there after an unsuccessful delivery attempt at a customer's home by a Royal Mail postman.
What the change means for customers
Royal Mail has clarified that items held at a Customer Service Point, including Post Office branches operating as a Customer Service Point, will continue to be held for the full 18 days. The new 10-day limit applies only to parcels sent to Post Office branches or Parcelshops at the request of the sender or recipient, or redirected after a failed delivery attempt.
A Royal Mail Parcelshop, sometimes called a Royal Mail Shop or designated drop-off location, is a physical site such as a local corner shop, a regular Post Office branch, or a parcel locker where customers can send, collect, or return their parcels.
Broader postal reforms
The postal service runs an extensive network of over 24,000 drop-off and collection locations across the UK. This network includes rebranded Collect+ sites, traditional Post Office branches, parcel lockers, customer service points, and parcel postboxes.
The parcel collection update is part of a wider set of reforms aimed at modernising the UK's postal service. In a significant shift, standard second-class letters will now be delivered on alternate days only. Standard bulk business letters are shifting to a three-day delivery target, while first-class deliveries will remain a six-day-a-week service, running from Monday through Saturday.
These changes come as Royal Mail adjusts its operations to reflect changing mail volumes and customer preferences, with the new collection times set to apply from this Sunday across all affected locations.
