The post person has been seen on our streets since 1793, and they’ve provided an important service to our communities ever since. Rain or shine they pound the pavements, delivering us birthday cards, bank statements, discount codes and promotions for our favourite stores and, of course, that dreaded brown envelope with “Important” branded across it.

The role of the post person hasn’t changed for hundreds of years, but it’s fair to say the world around them has, from going paperless to the relationships we have with our community. After all, fewer of us now know our neighbours, so how likely is it that we know our postie?

Where once we’d be on first name terms with the milkman, our butcher and, indeed, our postie, how many of us actually are today?

In a world where we’re less engaged with those around us, but actually see more delivery people than ever before, whether that be our traditional Royal Mail post person, Amazon or DPD driver, how have our relationships with those changed?

To uncover what our relationship with our post people are today, StoreFeeder has surveyed the nation to see just how well we know ourposties…

Are we on first name terms with our postie?

Today, how much time we spend at home can vary. Remote and hybrid working has meant that roughly 40% of workers are at home at some point in the week. But does this change how well we know our posties?

Well, not really. Around a third of us are on first name terms with our Royal Mail postie, with that figure pretty consistent across office based, hybrid and remote workers, while interestingly those unemployed and retired are 10% less likely to know their post person.

Where the correlations are clearest are in the amount of online ordering that we do, which, perhaps naturally, those in employment are statistically more likely to do.

We’re most likely to know the name of our Royal Mail postie compared to any other type of delivery person or driver. That’s not to say we aren’t on first name terms though. One in five of us are on first name terms with our Amazon and Evri drivers, while it’s one in 10 of us with those working for the likes of DPD, Yodel and FedEx.

Those aged between 25 and 34 are most likely to be on first name terms with the various delivery drivers. In fact, they are just as likely to be so with their Amazon driver as they are their day-to-day postie, with around 45% doing so for both.

The Scots are friendliest with their post person

Posties doing their rounds north of the border are most likely to say hello to residents, with 38% on first name terms, the highest in the country. It’s in Wales and Northern Ireland where the friendliness continues too, with 35% of residents familiar with their postie.

However, in the North East, South East and East of England the number of people on first name terms with their postie is significantly lower, with just one in five across the regions being familiar with their post person. That doesn’t reflect Londoners, though, who sit above the national average for being on first name terms with posties with a third knowing their Royal Mail driver, as well as Amazon driver too.

How regularly do we chat and what do we discuss?

What’s perhaps most interesting, and rather against the stereotypes often labelled against Londoners, is that they could be considered the most open when it comes to those doorstep conversations.

Family life is the most common topic to discuss in the region, a far cry from the weather and general niceties the rest of the country commonly talk about. It’s a much more personal topic and one that over a third of Londoners talk about, eight percent higher than the national average and over 20% higher than in the likes of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, where the most people are on first name terms.

As you’d perhaps expect, generally, the weather is the most popular conversation topic among Brits with their postie. A third of us use it as our go-to, while around a quarter admit to talking to our posties about nothing in particular. Current affairs is the third most talked about topic, while family life is fourth and traffic is fifth.

However, traffic is a much more common topic of conversation for men than women, with almost 10% more talking about the roads, while sport leaps to the second most talked about topic among the gender at 33%, compared to just five percent of women.

Those under the age of 35 are much more likely to talk about what’s on the TV with their post person compared to the likes of public affairs and traffic, while those towards more retirement age keep it pretty simple with the Great British weather.

What we talk about to our postie

How frequently do we talk to our postie?

On average, we talk to our postie around nine times per month, with 80% of us doing so at least every two or three weeks. A quarter of us, however, chat to our postie at least two to three days per week.

One in 10 of us chat to our postie daily, and typically the more a person spoke to a post person, the more likely they were to open up about family life and weekend plans to them. One in five will chat to their postie at least four to six days per week.

Men are more likely to talk to post people, whether that be Royal Mail or any other form of delivery driver, on average chatting 10 days per month with them, two days more frequently compared to women.  

In a world where we’re perhaps enjoying fewer one-to-one conversations in the physical, over a third of us are seeing that our various delivery drivers and post people as an opportunity to connect with others. 37% have spoken to their Royal Mail postie more over the past 12 months, while that figure rises to nearly 50% of people when it comes to Amazon drivers.

In fact, less than 10% of people spoke to the various delivery drivers less than they had the 12 months prior. Perhaps a sign that we’re wanting to connect a little more in a digital world.

The Importance of a Relationship with our Postie

That’s backed up by the fact that half of people believe it’s important to have a relationship with their post person, with that rising to three quarters of those aged 25 to 34. And that makes sense. While we often say we see our colleagues more than our family, similar can be said of our post people too, and that’s recognised.

It’s a service that many of us couldn’t live without, and that’s reflected in what we think of those in such roles. A fifth of us believe our postie to be helpful and trustworthy, while over 40% consider them friendly.

Importantly, a fifth of us believe our posties to be a valuable part of the community and that speaks volumes, particularly as more of us open up about our everyday lives with them.

While more of our mail is delivered via email and through apps these days, it’s perhaps more important than ever to recognise and hold onto the day-to-day relationships we develop, whether that be with the butcher, the baker or, of course, the humble postie pounding our streets come rain or shine.