Post Office is opening up a new wave of delivery services from its branches as it launches multiple-carrier service to help give customers more choices at the counter when sending parcels.

This is welcome news for Gloucestershire businesses, large and small, independents and homeowners, to ease the stress of sending parcels, particularly during the festive period, following chaos last year in late and lost packages.

For the first time in its 360-year history, Post Office customers will be able to walk up to a counter and choose to send their parcels with DPD or Evri, in addition to existing services, so they can choose the delivery carrier which best suits their needs.

The new buy-in-branch parcel service will begin in selected branches in time for the peak Christmas delivery season, giving customers greater parcel carrier choice, at their local branch.

DPD and Evri have chosen to partner with the Post Office because they have the UK's largest network and Post Office branches are seen as a trusted and safe place, according to 84% of UK adults, to go for parcels, handling millions of parcels every week.

Nick Read, CEO of the Post Office said: "We are fundamentally transforming Post Office by introducing new mail carriers for over-the-counter sales for the first time in our 360 year history. This expanded partnership with DPD and Evri shows how we are disrupting the mail market to offer greater choice for customers and more opportunities for Postmasters as we build a Post Office fit for the future."

Elaine Kerr, CEO at DPD UK, said: "Buy-in-branch extends our working relationship with the Post Office and will help provide more choice and convenience for UK parcel shippers. DPD parcel recipients can already collect their parcels from Post Office branches and regard them as safe and trusted locations for a wide range of services. The new service will help reinforce the unique position the branches have and, for the first time, give face-to-face parcel customers genuine choice over how they ship."

Martijn de Lange, CEO at Evri, said: "We're committed to delivering a high-quality, convenient, and reliable service and this partnership offers our cost-effective options, with great quality benefits such as tracking as standard, within the Post Office's expansive network to reach more communities. We deliver over 730 million parcels each year and as well as offering domestic services, which sees us deliver to almost every household in the UK, our international services will be available at selected Post Office counters."

Elliot Jacobs, Postmaster and Non-executive Director at Post Office said: "Providing multiple carrier options in our branches is essential for our customers. We've seen a broader demographic coming through our doors since partnering with Evri and DPD for PUDO and Parcels Online, and it's made a significant difference. With the new buy-in-branch service, we can finally offer our customers the convenience of choosing from a range of carriers, all in one place. This not only simplifies their lives but also brings more traffic to the high streets, potentially boosting local businesses. With this new service, we'll never have to do that again. It's a win-win for everyone, from providing more choices to improving customer experiences and making our branches even more central to our communities."