Royal Mail to take over thousands of UK convenience stores
8,000 convenience stores to rebrand as Royal Mail shops
- International Distribution Services (IDS), the owner of Royal Mail, has acquired a 49 per cent stake in parcel company Collect+ for £43.9m.
- The deal will result in approximately 8,000 convenience stores being rebranded as Royal Mail shops, offering postage services and bill payments.
- These new Royal Mail shops will feature self-service kiosks and extended opening hours, alongside existing Collect+ parcel services.
- Royal Mail also announced plans to recruit around 20,000 temporary workers to manage the anticipated surge in demand over the Christmas period.
- This investment underscores IDS's strategic shift towards parcel services, following its recent acquisition by Daniel Kretinsky's EP Group.