Royal Mail loses 360-year monopoly on delivering parcels from Post Office sites

Neveed, a DPD employee, Mark, a Post Office worker, and Amos, an Evri employee, at the launch of the new partnership between the Post Office and DPD and Evri. Photograph: Michael Leckie/PA

Royal Mail is to lose its 360-year-old monopoly on delivering parcels from Post Office branches, after concerns about poor quality of service persuaded the postal service to sign deals with rivals Evri and DPD in the run-up to Christmas.

The two couriers would be added to the options available at the counter from later this month, the Post Office said, with customers given a choice for the first time.