Post Office to begin handling Amazon packages nationwide

The Post Office is to begin offering pick-up and drop-off services for Amazon packages, following a successful 6 month trial at select branches earlier this year.

According to The Sunday Times, customers at 1,500 branches will be able to take delivery of or send parcels with Amazon before Christmas 2021, with a full roll out early next year.

The landmark deal with the global tech giant marks the first time the Post Office has entered a partnership with a third party retailer. The news comes after the Post Office ended its exclusive mail distribution agreement with Royal Mail in December last year, in a bid to build new relationships with other providers.

Locations will receive smartphones, specifically programmed to scan the Amazon parcels once they are delivered by a courier. The customer will then present a code to collect the parcel.

Last month, Amazon announced it is offering new warehouse recruits a £1,000 joining bonus as it looks to attracts staff amid a mounting hiring crisis.