A convenience store in Hatfield logged one of the earliest Christmas Day parcel returns of the festive season.
According to Collect+, the out-of-home parcel network operated by PayPoint, a parcel was returned at 7.06am on Christmas morning via one of its Hatfield locations. Further early returns followed shortly after, with parcels dropped off in Batley at 7.17am and Colchester at 7.30am.
Collect+ said the timings highlight how shoppers are increasingly using convenience stores to manage deliveries and returns around busy schedules, including during the Christmas period.
In the run-up to Christmas, convenience stores across the network were heavily used for sending, collecting and returning parcels, with many shoppers opting for early morning or late-night visits to fit around work and festive commitments.
Christmas Day itself proved busier than might be expected. Birmingham emerged as the most active location for returns on the day, handling more than 50 parcels. Redbridge followed with 47 returns, while Manchester recorded 44, showing strong demand for accessible parcel services even during the holiday.
Sam Holden, director of parcel services at PayPoint, said the festive season brings intense pressure for retailers as extended sales periods and online shopping drive high volumes of deliveries and returns.
“Not every gift hits the mark,” he said. “While some wake up full of festive cheer, others are making early-morning trips to return presents that didn’t quite work out.”
He added that Collect+ is designed to offer flexibility for shoppers, ensuring they can send or return parcels when it suits them. “Our goal is to ensure that whenever someone needs to send or return a parcel, there will be a local store nearby ready to help,” Holden said.
Collect+ operates a large, carrier-agnostic parcel network with more than 14,000 locations across the UK, many of them convenience stores, newsagents and petrol stations. The network partners with major couriers including Royal Mail, DPD, InPost, DHL and Yodel, as well as online marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay and Vinted.
Top 10 quickest Christmas Day returns recorded by the network:
- 07:06 Hatfield
- 07:17 Batley
- 07:30 Colchester
- 07:52 Westcliff-on-Sea
- 08:06 Bracknell
- 08:09 Manchester
- 08:18 Birmingham
- 08:23 Shrewsbury
- 08:56 Bexhill-on-Sea
- 08:57 Brentwood