The new design which sees the biggest change to the postbox in its 175-year history will be installed in a number of UK cities
08:35, 27 Aug 2025Updated 08:36, 27 Aug 2025
A new solar-powered postbox which is being rolled out (Image: PA Media)
Royal Mail is introducing 3,500 solar-powered “postboxes of the future” throughout the UK, equipped with a digitally activated drop-down drawer enabling customers to post parcels as big as a shoebox.
The new design – representing the most significant transformation to the postbox in its 175-year existence – underwent testing in Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire earlier this year.
Now, they will be deployed in Manchester as well as other cities including Edinburgh, Nottingham, Sheffield and Sunderland.
Users scan a barcode through the Royal Mail app to activate the drawer, which accommodates parcels too big to pass through the conventional slot.
The revamped boxes also include a separate slot for letters, plus a solar panel to operate the scanner and drawer system.
Proof of posting and parcel tracking is accessible via the Royal Mail app, with the fresh service targeting those dispatching or returning goods bought online.
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Jack Clarkson, managing director of out-of-home and commercial excellence at Royal Mail, said: “We are all sending and returning more parcels than ever before.
One of Royal Mail’s new postboxes of the future(Image: PA Media)
“This trend will only continue as online shopping shows no signs of slowing, particularly with the boom of second-hand marketplaces.
“There are 115,000 postboxes in the UK located within half a mile of 98% of addresses, making them by far the most convenient network of parcel drop-off points in the UK.
“Our message is clear, if you have a Royal Mail label on your parcel, and it fits, put it in a postbox and we’ll do the rest.”
Royal Mail said the rollout is part of its drive to make posting, collecting and returning parcels as convenient as possible.
Alongside its home delivery and collection services, the company said there are now more than 23,500 parcel points across the UK.
These include lockers, Collect+ stores, Post Office branches, Royal Mail customer service points and existing parcel postboxes.
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