The Post Office has announced the launch of a concept store named Post Office Plus. The new format has been designed to “bring trusted, face-to-face services back to UK high streets,” it said.
It comes in response to consumer demand for more in-person support for important life moments. Although more people are going online for answers, many experience information overload and are unsure who to trust, or what’s right for them.
The Post Office’s latest research highlights how face-to-face support matters more now than ever, with half of people saying they’d be likely to use digital skills training (53%), energy switching services (49%), or will writing guidance (49%), if it were offered in-person in their local area.
The selected branches in the trial will transform into multi-service community hubs, bringing in partners on different days of the week to provide practical guidance designed to make important life moments easier. By combining Post Office’s “trusted high street network with specialist partner expertise, the model will make support more accessible when it matters most,” it said.
Founding partners for the concept include Utility Warehouse, Octopus Legacy and Good Things Foundation, with each bringing specialist support.
The first two concept stores will begin operating this week in Barnsley and Derby. In time, each Post Office Plus location will provide services tailored to local community needs with different partners in branch on set days each week. For government, charities and businesses alike, Post Office Plus has the potential to become shared high street infrastructure that organisations can use to reach communities directly.
Neil Brocklehurst (left), chief executive officer at the Post Office, said: “At a time when people increasingly want access to trusted face-to-face services close to home, Post Office, as the UK’s largest retail network, will help keep those essential services on the high street.
“Post Office Plus is designed to complement our existing branch network and gives partners space to offer valuable in-person support to customers at a location they trust.”
Post Office minister, Blair McDougall MP (right), added: “This is an exciting new chapter for the Post Office and for our high streets, bringing trusted, face-to-face services under one roof so people can easily access the support they need for the moments that matter most.
“As set out in our response to the Green Paper on the Post Office, this government is backing the Post Office to succeed, investing £500m over the next two years to transform it into a modern, efficient business that remains at the heart of communities across the UK for decades to come.”
Finally, Sid Atwal, branch manager at Derby City Post Office, one of the new trial stores, said: “We’ve operated in Derby for more than six years, and one of the biggest changes we’ve seen is the decline of in-person services and places where people can access support.
“For many people here, being able to sit down with someone, ask questions and get guidance makes a real difference. Post Office Plus gives us a new way to respond to what customers are asking for locally, while showing how branches like ours can play an even bigger role on the high street.”
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