When it comes to sending and receiving goods, the courier industry has certainly boomed. Traditionally, people relied on nationally owned and run postal services to send letters and parcels across the country, but with the introduction of faster, more cost-effective courier services, how exactly do these two very similar services compare today?
Postal services typically offer customers the ability to send and receive goods via a post office or local post workers. Most often, a nationalised service, in the UK The Post Office is a national organisation, owned and run by the government, which manages over 11,000 post offices across the country.
Royal Mail, on the other hand, is now owned by private shareholders after being privatised in 2011, following the introduction of the Postal Services Act. This involves the collection, sorting, and delivering of the post. Meanwhile The Post Office offers a number of services within local communities, creating a space for people to send and return their post from.
The alternative to this is courier services which are privately owned companies offering a range of delivery services, including for both businesses and individuals. They typically prioritise speed, ensuring goods can be delivered within one or two days. They work to keep up with the demand from customers requiring same day delivery or next day delivery by hiring courier drivers who are carefully selected to handle goods with caution.
One may wish to choose a courier provider over postal services for the competitive prices they offer and the convenience of same day and next day delivery services.
In recent years, postal services have become increasingly more expensive, making this not a suitable option for small businesses who need to save money and cut costs. Plus, with strike action often having an effect on The Post Office, the sorting of post to local areas is often impacted and delayed. Even with a standard postal service, packages could take 5-10 working days to reach the final destination.
Choosing to deliver your goods with a courier provides a number of advantages, including:
Whether you’re a business or simply an individual looking to send goods across the UK, at DeliveryApp we offer a range courier services to our customers. These include next day and same day delivery for those prioritising speed and efficiency. Unlike the postal service, we are reliable and cost-effective, offering simple and budget-friendly courier services to customers throughout the country, including in major cities like London, Birmingham, Manchester and more! To book a local courier today, simply download our app on the App Store or Play Store today.