Royal Mail has announced an extension to its Local Collect network, with new points added to 1,222 delivery offices. 

The service is already available at 10,500 Post Office branches up and down the country, so the announcement represents a significant ten per cent addition to the service. 

It is hoped that the move will give customers greater flexibility and convenience in terms of choosing where and when to collect their online shopping. 

Click and collect is on the rise as an alternative delivery channel in the UK, with around 80 million deliveries made through this method in 2014. 

Managing director of Royal Mail Parcels Nick Landon said the success of the service has shown just how important it is to have accessible, local options for customers. 

"The extension ... to include Royal Mail customer service points gives more options and more flexibility to consumers, making Local Collect not only the biggest but also the most convenient collection network," he commented.