Parcelforce Worldwide is to begin making deliveries for online retailers on Sundays next month as parent company Royal Mail Group plans to make its services more accessible to consumers.

The service will allow its contract customers to offer consumers delivery on a Sunday and will be available nationwide.

The group's Royal Mail brand will also trial a Sunday parcel delivery service within the M25 later this year will pilot opening 100 of its busiest delivery offices across the UK for parcel collection on Sundays.

Royal Mail has also recently opened its depots on Saturdays and Sundays to allow larger online retailers to drop-off parcels for Monday delivery.

Royal Mail Group CEO Moya Greene said: “Through these new Sunday services we are exploring ways to improve our flexibility and provide more options for people to receive items they have ordered online.”

The Communication Workers Union said it was in the process of negotiating with Royal Mail to ensure that staff affected by the changes will receive "good terms and conditions" and work is carried out on a voluntary basis where possible.

Rival parcel carrier DPD will also launch a Sunday delivery service in July, allowing parcels to be collected on Saturday for Sunday delivery.

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