Evri parcel services are facing disruption across shops and Post Office branches nationwide as it overhauls parts of its collection network.
Retailers have reported delayed collections, growing parcel backlogs and problems with parcels remaining in stores for several days, according to Better Retailing.
The disruption has been linked to changes to Evri’s network, including a move from larger central depots towards smaller local facilities.
The Post Office reportedly told subpostmasters that Evri was implementing a recovery plan as higher parcel volumes continued to put pressure on some collection routes.
Measures being introduced include shorter collection routes to ensure drivers have sufficient van capacity, additional drivers to tackle backlogs and increased monitoring of collections.
Evri has also added more than 100 routes and deployed 330 additional “sweeper vans” to clear outstanding collections, according to communications seen by Better Retailing.
One retailer told the publication that drivers had repeatedly arrived late to collect parcels, sometimes after the store had closed, while parcels were also reportedly being removed without being scanned correctly.
An Evri spokesperson apologised for the disruption affecting the store concerned and said the courier was continuing to strengthen its ParcelShop operation to cope with parcel volumes.
“We continue to strengthen our entire ParcelShop network to meet parcel volume demand,” the spokesperson said, adding that additional routes were already helping to improve services.
The latest problems come after similar disruption emerged last year when Evri extended a pilot programme changing how ParcelShop and Post Office collections were handled in parts of London, the south coast and north-west.
The disruption is significant for retailers because Evri relies heavily on stores as part of its out-of-home delivery network.
The courier currently operates more than 9,000 ParcelShops within local businesses across the UK, while its wider network of ParcelShops and lockers totals more than 11,500 locations.
Thousands of Post Office branches also offer Evri services, allowing customers to send, collect and return parcels through participating locations.
Evri has been expanding its out-of-home network further this year, including a deal to install lockers at 500 Motor Fuel Group forecourts and a trial at selected Tesco stores as part of plans to double the size of its ParcelShop and locker estate by 2030.
The operational issues follow separate tensions between Evri and independent retailers over ParcelShop payments.
Earlier this year, the courier cut commission on some shop-to-shop transactions, reducing retailer payments from 20p to 15p for parcel drop-offs and from 25p to 20p for customer collections. Evri later faced criticism after telling some stores it would recover payments made in error following a technical issue.
Evri has not provided a firm date for when the latest collection disruption will be fully resolved.
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