Strong demand for Menzies Distribution Highland Parcels
Within a month of launching its Highland Parcels delivery service, Menzies Distribution has seen 1200 people setting up accounts and over 100 paid orders delivered.
The company’s approach to deliveries – including its fairer delivery charges campaign – has also been commended by Scotland’s Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills, Jamie Hepburn who visited the organisation’s Inverness depot last month.
As the only logistics provider offering flat-fee parcel deliveries to end the postcode penalty, Mr Hepburn visited the organisation on 26 November – Scotland’s first ever ‘Fair Delivery Day’ – to explore the initiative and speak with the company about its solution to the issue.
Menzies Distribution Highland Parcels service allows residents in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland to send parcels for a single flat-fee of £4.99, ending the post-code penalty that has seen residents penalised with disproportionately high delivery charges.
By registering with Highland Parcels, users get a virtual address at Menzies Distribution’s Central Belt depot, with the firm notifying recipients by email when their parcel has arrived and then arranging final delivery to their personal address or their local depot for a flat-fee.
Fraser MacLean, Menzies Distribution General Manager of Parcel Logistics, stated: “Highland Parcels has had an incredibly successful start and we are delighted that our customers and campaigners for fair postal charges have backed our initiative so enthusiastically.
“We are thrilled that Highland Parcels has been recognised by the Scottish Government as a leading solution to an incredibly unfair situation in the Highlands. Our service is simple for people to use and consumers and businesses are voting with their feet.”
Business Minister Jamie Hepburn said: “It’s great to see national companies like Menzies working to solve delivery issues in the Highlands where there is a thriving community and a strong local economy. This is something which our new action plan is working towards solving and we are pleased to see independent companies such as Menzies with this high on their agenda already.”
Menzies Distribution is now looking to roll out the flat-fee parcel service model to other areas of the UK where a combination of rural infrastructure and challenging geography means that residents are also being classified as ‘hard to reach’. Consumers and businesses in these areas face additional charges of around £15 per delivery (on average) and with some customers waiting as long as 35 days for their orders.
