The Royal Mail have recently begin trialing new post boxes that are a bit different to what we are used to. Thirty mail boxes will be tested throughout Leicester and Northampton and will enable people to post parcel in the same way letters are sent. The new mail box design is the first significant change that The Royal Mail has made to the traditional mail box in 160 years.

How will the new postboxes work?

The new post boxes have a wider opening than traditional postboxes and are designed to make mailing larger items secure. In order to use these post boxes, the parcels must be ready to post and paid for online using the click and drop service. This is fairly simple to use, all you will need to do is to enter the relevant address information, select a parcel size and weight, choose a postal service, and pay. You’re then given a label to print at home and stick to your parcel before you post it.

During the trial, there will be 17 parcel postboxes in Northampton and 13 in Leicester. The Royal Mail will then review how the trial has gone based on feedback from the public and how much they have been used. This information will be used to decide whether the concept will be scraped or become another postage option across the country.

The trial of parcel postboxes has been created with the aim of simplifying sending parcels. The rise of online shopping and need for speed means that people are always looking for flexible delivery options.

What do you think about these trials? Would you use these post boxes in the future?