Post Office predicts busiest day in stores ahead of Christmas

Post Office said it is anticipating Monday 12 December to be the day when branches are busiest in the run up to Christmas as Brits hurry to send off cards, gifts and parcels.

Last year, the two weeks ahead of Christmas saw post offices more than double their trading activity and Post Office is expecting a similar pattern this year.

Recent research conducted by Post Office revealed that ‘looking like an effort hasn’t been made’ was the biggest concern if cards and gifts don’t arrive before Christmas Day.

What Brits decide to post may look different this December. One in six are planning on making homemade gifts this year according to the survey, with the number one reason being to save money.

The poll of 2005 adults also highlighted the role that cash will play this Christmas with concerns about the cost-of-living front of mind for consumers.

Four in ten plan to use cash to purchase Christmas gifts this year, of these, two thirds will do so to manage budgets and keep track of spending whilst over a quarter are set to gift cash.

A record £801 million in cash was withdrawn at Post Office counters over the festive period last year, with that figure expected to be surpassed this year.

With the research showing that more than one in ten have had a parcel rejected, Post Office has reminded consumers that knowing how to make Christmas parcels easily accepted in branch is key to a smooth trip in branch.

The most common reasons for being caught out were shown to be trying to send parcels containing batteries, parcels not being wrapped correctly and illegible writing.

Further research from Post Office focusing on the long-standing love affair of Brits and queues showed that we might not be as patient a nation as once believed. Although 10 per cent would be willing to wait in a queue for an hour or more, the average time Brits are willing to wait in a queue was shown to be 24 minutes.

Customers visiting post offices needn’t worry as the average wait time in branch is just 2 minutes and 36 seconds with over 94 per cent of the customers finding that wait acceptable.

With the Communication Workers Union having announced strike action in the run-up to Christmas, Post Office has also warned of potential delays in delivering items. Post Office branches will continue to operate as normal throughout these periods but are recommending that customers visit branches and send off deliveries earlier than planned.

“The lead up to Christmas is often a busy time for all with a long to-do list in preparation for the big day. We all want to make sure our Christmas cards and presents to loved ones arrive in time and our postmasters across our 11,500 branches can help with that,” Laura Joseph, Post Office customer experience director, said.

“Over the festive period postmasters will be supporting communities across the UK and so too can Post Office customers. Once again, Post Office will this year be giving 1p from every over-the-counter cash withdrawal to the Trussell Trust to help fight poverty and hunger this winter.”