A pilot scheme of Sunday deliveries and office openings will be implemented by the Royal Mail on Saturday and Sunday in London and surrounding areas.

Royal Mail offices will be open on Sunday for four hours from noon and customers will be able to collect parcels at around a hundred offices in the capital, with deliveries to be carried out within the M25 area.

"We are continuing to be more customer-responsive and provide more options for people to receive items they have ordered online," said Nick Landon, managing director of Royal Mail Parcels.

"I am delighted to pilot Sunday afternoon opening at around 100 of our delivery offices across the UK with the highest parcel volumes, and Sunday deliveries to addresses within the M25 motorway."

Over 1,400 branches are currently open six days a week and the latest move will extend the opening of delivery offices with the highest parcels volumes across the UK to seven days a week, the company said in a statement.

The plan, aimed to provide a better service to customers who are not at home during the working week and therefore can't collect deliveries, is the latest initiative in a bid aimed at making Royal Mail more customer-friendly.

The group extended its distribution network to Saturdays and Sundays earlier this year, allowing online retail companies to make items ordered on Saturday afternoon and Sunday available for delivery on Monday.

Royal Mail shares were down 1.92% to 439.20p at 15:28 on Tuesday.

DC

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