Parcel customers paying more in northern Scotland for deliveries

Consumers in the north of Scotland are paying an average of 30%-50% more for parcel deliveries compared to the rest of the country, research has found.

A report by Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) found those living in northern and northeastern parts of the country pay at least 30% more on average for delivery charges than consumers elsewhere in Great Britain.

The figure rises to 50% more on average in the Scottish islands.

CAS said the issue affects anyone ordering goods to be delivered north of the Central Belt, including those in Perth and Kinross, Aberdeenshire, Argyll and Bute, the north-west Highlands and the islands.

The organisation has called on parcel companies to consider collaborating with each other and the public sector to reduce their operating costs and therefore drive down delivery charges for consumers.

Its research looked at delivery options for a range of online purchases to 12 addresses representing various areas of the UK – including urban and rural, mainland and island.

The standard or economy delivery option was used to calculate average prices.

It found that, for smaller parcels, consumers in the north of Scotland face delivery prices that are about 13% higher than for urban consumers in the rest of Britain.

For larger parcel sizes, the average delivery cost was 23% higher while in the heavier weight category of 20-30kg it was significantly more than double the cost.

For the heaviest items, costs can rise to almost four times as much as for the rest of Great Britain.