Post Office is anticipating Monday 12 December to be the day when branches are busiest as Brits hurry to send cards, gifts, and parcels.
In 2021, the two weeks ahead of Christmas saw branches more than double their trading activity and Post Office are expecting a similar pattern this year.
Research conducted by Post Office reveals 40% of people plan to use cash to purchase Christmas gifts this year, of these, two-thirds will do so to manage budgets and keep track of spending, while over a quarter are set to gift cash.
A record £801m in cash was withdrawn at Post Office counters over the festive period last year, with that figure expected to be surpassed this year.
Further research from Post Office shows 10% of Brits would be willing to wait in a queue for an hour or more, the average time Brits are willing to wait in a queue was shown to be 24 minutes.
However, the average wait time in branch is just 2 minutes and 36 seconds with over 94% of our customers finding that wait acceptable.
With the Communication Workers Union having announced strike action in the run-up to Christmas, Post Office are warning of potential delays in delivering items. Post Office branches will continue to operate as normal throughout these periods but are recommending that customers visit branches and send off deliveries earlier than planned.
Laura Joseph, Post Office Customer Experience Director, said: “The lead up to Christmas is often a busy time for all with a long to-do list in preparation for the big day. We all want to make sure our Christmas cards and presents to loved ones arrive in time and our Postmasters across our 11,500 branches can help with that.
“Over the festive period Postmasters will be supporting communities across the UK and so too can Post Office customers. Once again, Post Office will this year be giving 1p from every over-the-counter cash withdrawal to the Trussell Trust to help fight poverty and hunger this winter.”
