Bid target Royal Mail is to set up 250 parcel delivery lockers to meet continued growth in the online parcel market.
Lockers from rival distribution companies are common in stores as a way for people to pick up and drop off things they are buying or selling online.
Royal Mail, part of International Distribution Services PLC (LSE:IDS), has yet to follow the trend but parcels are seen as the future for the group with letter volumes in steady decline.
Potential new owner, Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, is also believed to be keen to beef up the parcel division of Royal Mail.
In a statement, Mail said the first 250 lockers will be in place in early 2025 and provide 24/7 access for parcel sending and collections.
Jack Clarkson, group strategy and transformation director of Royal Mail, said: “With continued growth in online shopping, we are expanding our range of services for customers to make sending and receiving parcels more convenient than ever.
“Parcel Lockers are just one of the ways that we will achieve this, and with their growth in popularity, it is important that we have our own lockers to offer a modern, quick and convenient option for our customers.”
A decision on whether the government will allow Kretinsky's bid for IDS to go ahead is expected shortly.