Overview

• Royal Mail has begun installing 3,500 postboxes equipped with a barcode-scanned, drop-down drawer that accepts parcels up to shoebox size.
• Initial deployments are set for Edinburgh, Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield and Sunderland following trials in Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire earlier this year.
• Customers scan a label in the Royal Mail app to unlock the drawer and can access proof of posting and tracking in the app, while a separate slot remains for letters.
• Solar panels power the scanner and drawer mechanism, maintaining traditional mail use while adding secure parcel drop-off.
• The initiative aligns with a parcel-focused strategy supported by more than 23,500 parcel points and follows Ofcom-approved changes to second-class deliveries projected to save £250m to £425m annually.