Royal Mail is to automatically redeliver parcels the next working day across the UK for customers who are not at home when posties attempt to deliver the first time.

Under the new process, posties will automatically try to redeliver the next working day if the customer is not at home first time round.

The recipient will receive a card after the first delivery attempt advising that the postie will return the next working day, offering alternative options if required. The free initiative is designed to save customers time and provide a more convenient experience so they do not need to travel to a Royal Mail Customer Service Point to retrieve missed mail, removing the need for any carbon emissions as a result of the journey.

Customers will continue to have the existing alternative delivery options, including arranging a redelivery for a more convenient time, having items left in a safe place or with a neighbour, or requesting their parcel is redelivered to another local address or Post Office. Alternatively, customers can still collect their parcel from their regular Customer Service Point (usually co-located with their nearest delivery office). A card will be left with details of all these options after the automatic redelivery attempt.

Nick Landon, Chief Commercial Officer, Royal Mail, said: 

“Everyone knows how convenient a delivery from a Royal Mail postie is. They come to your house and have fantastic local knowledge enabling them to deliver first time, most of the time. With this change we will use that same great local knowledge to automatically attempt delivery again the next day and customers will know they are coming because we will have left a card the day before. Our trials show that by making this change the vast majority of items will be delivered without the recipient needing to do anything. No need in most instances to book a redelivery or to make a trip to collect a parcel. Just wait for your wonderful local postie to bring your parcel to you. This is the latest in a series of changes we have made to make doorstep deliveries and collections as convenient and green as possible.”