Royal Mail puts plans in place for Delivery to Neighbour initiative

Royal Mail is preparing to roll out its Delivery to Neighbour initiative in late September, subject to regulatory approval. The company will be delivering a leaflet to all 29 million addresses across the UK starting next week (weeks commencing 20 and 27 August) providing information about the new delivery initiative which will make it easier for people who are out and about when the post arrives to receive items that are too large to go through the letterbox or require a signature.

The leaflet will explain what Delivery to Neighbour means in practice and will include information about how to opt out, should a customer not wish to participate.

Research by Consumer Focus also found that delivery convenience was improved for people whose undeliverable post was left with a neighbour as part of the trial. Its report, Everybody Needs Good Neighbours, said: “Both recipients and neighbours reported that items were collected quickly and conveniently, with no reports of loss or damage. Almost all consumers whose post was left with a neighbour, or who received post on behalf of their neighbours, believed they had benefitted from the delivery to neighbour trial.”