Christmas just came early for e-retailers and other customers sending small parcels this season. Royal Mail is currently running a special price promotion, offering substantial savings on small parcel deliveries. The price promotion began on 18th October and is timed to coincide with the Christmas holiday season – traditionally the busiest time of the year for deliveries. Discounts will continue until 18th January, so you’ll have plenty of time to get your packages wrapped and dispatched. Royal Mail has also increased its small parcel sizes so you can send even bigger packages – for less money!
Under the special price promotion, all second class small parcels weighing between 1kg and 2kg will be charged at the same rate – £2.80. This represents a saving of £1 compared to the cost of regular stamps last year. With customers paying the same price for a 2kg parcel as they normally would for a 1kg parcel, you can send twice as much for the price! E-retailers and online firms using franking machines will pay even less during the promotional period – just £2.50 for a franked small parcel weighing between 1-2kg.
Small Parcels Just Got Bigger!
Alongside the price promotion, Royal Mail has overhauled its parcel sizing to offer unbeatable value for customers. From 20th October, the biggest dimensions of the two existing small parcel formats have been combined to create a single, larger format of 45cm x 35cm x 16cm. Customers will now be able to fit into the new small format contents that would previously have required a medium parcel delivery. Whether you’re selling goods online or simply sending parcels to family and friends, the new sizing requirements could save you as much as £5.20 per parcel! From kids’ toys to kitchenware, winter woolies to Christmas crackers – you’ll be amazed by how much you can send as a small parcel this season.
Save Money – Don’t Hurry
Before you get too carried away, there are sadly no discounts for first class deliveries – so it will cost you £3.20 to send a first class small parcel weighing up to 1kg and £5.45 for a first class small parcel weighing 1-2kg. That’s almost double the £2.80 cost of sending a 1-2kg package using the slower second class service. As such, you’ll be well advised to get that package in the post a day or two earlier and pocket the difference. However, the increase in small parcel size is also valid for first class packages so you can at least send more for your money if you’re in a hurry. And don’t forget that the new parcel size is not just for Christmas – it’s a gift you can enjoy the whole year through!
Sunday Services
Royal Mail’s new parcel sizing and price promotion is part of a shake-up of services by the newly privatised firm. With stiff competition from parcel couriers and online retailers like Amazon, Royal Mail – which handles more parcel deliveries than any other firm in the UK – is offering customers even more choice and better value on its range of delivery services. In addition to offering larger parcel formats and price discounts, the firm recently launched a pilot of Sunday afternoon opening at around 100 of its UK delivery offices. This will make it easier for online shoppers to collect parcels if they are not at home during the week. Royal Mail has also launched a trial of Sunday deliveries to addresses within the M25.
With 23 days left till Christmas, it’s time to get out the tape measure and consider the gifts you could send as a small parcel to friends and family – for less money than before! If you’re an ebay seller, you can choose to pass on the cost savings to customers – or simply boost your own Christmas profits!