An Post has launched an end-to-end parcel delivery and returns service designed to “overcome post-Brexit barriers” for Irish small and medium sized businesses.
The company said the service was being introduced as Irish businesses face “complexity, cost, and considerable delays” when shipping to Britain, due to customs charges and the “exacting compliance demands” of Brexit.
The service, called UK Direct, involves businesses registering to access a “full turnkey solution”, which includes advance customs payments, and three-day delivery with end-to-end tracking. It was described by An Post as “ground-breaking”.
“UK customers buying products from Irish companies can expect fully-tracked delivery by Royal Mail within three days,” the company said. “UK customers also benefit from a simple, integrated secure returns system.”
READ MORE
Enterprise Ireland forecasts 97 per cent of Irish companies want to expand into new markets over the next 12 months, and, in its recent pilot programme for potential new exporters, about two in three companies identified the UK as their target market.
An Post said it worked closely with Irish SMEs to “understand the full extent of their difficulties” in trying to expand their trade with the UK, which boasts a 69 million-strong consumer market.
‘Over a billion eyeballs will be on the parade’: St Patrick’s festival CEO Richard Tierney
“In designing the new service, and partnering with Royal Mail, An Post is providing SMEs with a bridge directly into the vast UK market, a seamless shopping experience for UK consumers, and a simple, secure system for returns and refunds,” the group said.
An Post chief executive David McRedmond described UK-Irish trade as “central to Ireland’s economy”.
“This new UK Direct solution reopens that market for businesses facing the challenges posed by Brexit,” he said.
“Ireland’s 400,000 SMEs are the backbone of this economy, and in building new infrastructure for Ireland, An Post is opening doors to new trade with the UK through a full end-to-end service from one of Ireland’s most trusted companies.
“Instead of being tied up in the complexities of customs fees or other red tape, they can focus on huge growth opportunities and ensuring a top-quality retail experience for their new UK customers.”
Kara Owen, British ambassador to Ireland, said businesses on both sides of the Irish Sea want “simple, dependable ways to reach their customers”.
“What matters most is giving firms the confidence to trade and grow – and that comes from practical, workable solutions like this,” she said.
“By making everyday commerce easier, we are strengthening our €2 billion a week trading relationship, the economic ties that sustain the UK-Ireland relationship and support to communities and customers across both our countries.”
Fiona Fitzsimons, chief executive of Irish jewellery company Betty and Biddy, described the service as “a total game-changer”.
“We get enquiries from the UK all the time, but right now, trying to navigate initial customs charges and reliable delivery in the UK – never mind customer returns – is a total nightmare,” she said.
“This service will help take our business to the next level, something we’ve been working towards for a long time.”
