Royal Mail is set to roll out 3,500 solar-powered postboxes across the country, marking the most significant change to its iconic red pillars in more than a century. The updated design features solar panels on the lid, which generate the power needed for a digitally activated drawer, allowing customers to post parcels up to the size of a shoebox. The move is aimed at boosting convenience as the company adapts to the boom in online shopping and returns.

Following a pilot in Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire, the new boxes will be introduced in cities including Edinburgh, Manchester, Nottingham and Sheffield. Two prototype designs were tested, but Royal Mail confirmed that the chosen version retains the traditional red top, with solar panels embedded in a white rectangular surface facing south to capture maximum sunlight. A barcode scanner linked to the Royal Mail app will unlock the drawer, enabling customers to track items and obtain proof of posting.

Royal Mail hopes the redesign will strengthen its parcel business at a time when competition from rivals such as Evri and Yodel is intensifying. Jack Clarkson, managing director, said the expansion reflected changing consumer habits: “We are all sending and returning more parcels than ever before, and this trend is only accelerating.”

The changes come as Royal Mail faces financial and operational challenges. Recently bought by a Czech investor, the company has been fined for missing delivery targets and plans to scale back Saturday second-class post. The firm is betting that more flexible parcel services will help secure its place in a fast-changing delivery market.