ROYAL Mail has revealed a huge shake-up to its famous red postboxes.
The has given its iconic design a makeover, and people are bound to hate it.
Royal Mail has launched new digital postboxes which will be solar-powered and feature a larger posting slot to accommodate small parcels.
This is the first time postboxes will have larger slots.
To use the digital postboxes, customers will need to scan a barcode on their parcel and a drawer will automatically open for them to drop it in.
They can then request proof of postage using the app.
The app update uses 4G and your phone’s location services — all customers have to do is tap ‘services’ on the home screen, go to ‘proof of posting’, and follow the steps.
It marks the biggest change to postbox design in over 175 years — and many will hate it.
The solar panels are attached to the top of the iconic postboxes, which has completely changed their look.
The digital shift comes as part of Royal Mail’s drive to make it easier for people to send parcels without having to queue at the Post Office.
Five of the futuristic postboxes have already been trialled in Ware, Hertford and Fowlmere, with plans to roll them out more widely.
The new postboxes are not replacing existing ones – they are in addition to the traditional boxes.
But while the design might make life easier for online sellers or shoppers returning items, others may dislike the change for taking away the simplicity of a quick letter drop.
This is not the first time Royal Mail has revamped its services in recent years.
Back in 2018, — making them big enough to fit small packages as well as letters.
Then in 2019, , converting existing postboxes to have wider openings and a secure design for pre-paid parcels.
Last year, Royal Mail made another major change to its services, .
And .
Six lockers were installed in locations like Clapham, Kidderminster and Chislehurst to help customers send and collect parcels while they shop
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The move comes as — leaving many households furious.
From Monday (April 7), the cost of a first-class stamp went up by 5p, now costing £1.70. Second-class stamps rose by 2p to 87p.
It didn’t stop there either — larger items were hit by even steeper price hikes.
Posting a first-class large letter up to 100g now costs £3.15, up from £2.60.
And first-class small parcels weighing up to 2kg rose from £4.79 to £4.99, while second-class jumped from £3.75 to £3.90.
Signed-for deliveries have also become more expensive.
Royal Mail bosses said the new postboxes would help support the growing number of people selling clothes and other secondhand goods online — as well as those returning unwanted items.
Emma Gilthorpe, CEO at Royal Mail, said: “In making this historic change to our postboxes, our goal is to maximise choice and convenience for our customers.”;
, particularly when it comes to using letters.
Twenty years ago, Royal Mail was delivering 20billion letters.
That number is now 6.6billion a year, and Royal Mail expects it to be 4billion a year in the next few years.
