Christmas may be months away, but if you have relatives in America and friends in Eastern Europe, it’s time to start sending festive cards and gifts! If you want your letters and parcels to arrive on time, you best get wrapping.
UK Postal Delivery Dates
From the end of October, until early January, the volume of letters and parcels handled by Royal Mail is expected to double. To help everyone get their gifts in time, the company provides guaranteed letter and parcel delivery dates.
Unbelievably, the last opportunity to send economy class letters and parcels to South Africa or the Middle & Far East has already passed. The next deadline is Tuesday 31 October, for economy mail to Canada and the USA.
On 24 November, all mail to Eastern Europe, Greece, Malta, Turkey, Cyprus and Iceland should be on their way. Following this, your deliveries to Western Europe should be sent by 27 November. (We believe the last delivery dates for Lapland would come into this category, so get your letters for Santa written in time!)
If all your recipients are based in mainland UK, the last postal dates are:
- 18 December – 2nd Class
- 19 December – 1st Class
- 22 December – Special Guaranteed Delivery
Royal Mail advises that all letters and parcels are properly packaged, weighed and measured to ensure the correct postage is paid. It also recommends including the postcode as part of the address.
Guaranteed Delivery with Parcel Post Boxes
Of course, the posties can’t guarantee that your recipients will be in to receive the mail. When packages are too large for the standard letterbox, they may be returned to the depot for collection. Royal Mail Sorting Offices are opening for longer through the peak months. However, arriving home to a ‘sorry we missed you card’ is frustrating, especially if it means heading out on a dark, cold evening.
There is one way to ensure that your letters and parcels are safely stored until you get home. That is to install a secure parcel post box for home. Designed to be robust, weather resistant and lockable, with anti-thief features, parcel post boxes combine a wide opening, chute and large hold.
Are Parcel Boxes More Useful Than Letterboxes?
Let’s be honest, there might be a higher than usual volume of mail during the festive season, but with online shopping, safe parcel delivery is a year-round requirement. For the majority of households, it’s more common to receive packages and boxes than a letter or card.
Our selection of Parcel Post Boxes for Home includes free standing and through the wall options. All are manufactured by specialists in Europe and come with a quality guarantee.
The Sigma Gate or Fence mounted model and Lovisa free standing model are our biggest sellers and we currently have an offer on the Zeta free standing parcel box. Could one of these be your ideal Christmas gift?
All the products in our range prevent your deliveries from being left on the doorstep, where they are exposed to the elements. You hold the key, so your mail is held safely for when you unlock the hold.
What do our customers have to say? Here are two reviews from customers who recently purchased parcel boxes:
“So easy to order and delivery was so quick, excellent service. Would highly recommend.”
“Fast service & great product delivered on schedule & well packed.”
Royal Mail Recruitment
As well providing letter and parcel delivery deadlines, Royal Mail are recruiting 16,000 temps to work through the peak months. The majority are mail sorting office roles, with positions offered across the UK from Aberdeen to Plymouth. In addition, 5 short-term sorting offices are opening and extra vehicles will be on the road.
Christmas Deliveries
Everyone deserves a few days off for Christmas and posties are no exception. There will be no Royal Mail deliveries or collections on 24, 25, 26 and 31 December or 1 January 2024. In Scotland, 2 January is also a day off.