Parcels delivery service launched from 3,500 corner shops

Collect+ said its outlets will generally be open seven days a week, from early in the morning until late at night, adding that the service was answering a demand from the public for longer opening hours.

Chief executive Mark Lewis said: "Customers tell us that it is inconvenient to drop their parcels off during the working day and that they want a more convenient option.

"Two-fifths of those that use our service to return goods to our retail partners do so outside normal hours or at weekends. Today's launch extends that convenience to personal deliveries, allowing us to offer a simple parcel-send alternative matched to modern lifestyles."

Parcels up to 5kg (11lb) in weight will cost 4.99 to send and those between 5kg and 10kg (22lb) will be 6.99.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "Royal Mail is continually looking at ways in which we can invest in new services to give our customers even greater control over the delivery of items.

"As well as extending the opening hours of around 600 of our busiest delivery offices until 8pm on a Wednesday evening, Royal Mail has also launched a trial of evening deliveries in the M25 area to give consumers even greater choice over the delivery of their items."