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- MediaGuardian,
- Thursday June 14 2001
Royal Mail is to introduce personalised postcodes that will allow people to move a dozen times in a year and still get all their mail delivered by the postman.
Royal Mail hopes to combat the rise of email by finding innovative new ways for people to send what has become known as "snail mail".
According to Royal Mail, 80m letters are sent every day - an increase from 55m 10years ago.
However, bosses are worried email will kill off letter writing. The current Royal Mail advertising campaign aims to persuade people that receiving something in the post is preferable to getting a message in cyberspace.
"The idea behind personalised postcodes is that no matter where you live - or if you move - you can still get your post," said a Royal Mail spokesman. The system should be in operation within two years.
Personalised postcodes could be a godsend for people, such as students, who move home frequently. It will also eliminate the need to pay the Post Office to forward misdirected mail.
Lorna Clarkson, Royal Mail's new director of innovation, is responsible for the initiative.
Ms Clarkson, one of Royal Mail's chief marketeers, was moved into the role after Gillian Wilmot, the consumer markets managing director, carried out a staff restructure.
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