Practical Guide: Shipping Herbs & Plant Products in the UK (2026) — Royal Mail FAQ and Industrial Action Updates
Updated shipping guidance for herb retailers in 2026 — customs, carrier choices and how to plan for Royal Mail industrial action and pilot autonomous delivery programs.
Practical Guide: Shipping Herbs & Plant Products in the UK (2026)
Hook: Shipping is the operational heartbeat of any herb business. In 2026, you must be ready for regulatory checks, pilot delivery programs and occasional carrier disruptions.
Royal Mail — essential guidance for online sellers
Royal Mail’s guidance for new online sellers remains the first stop for returns, insurance and best practices — read their FAQs and align your returns policy with carrier rules to avoid disputes (Royal Mail FAQs for New Sellers).
Industrial action and contingency planning
Sector-wide industrial action has a direct impact on fulfilment windows. Track weekly updates and activate contingency couriers when risks spike (Royal Mail industrial action update).
Autonomous delivery pilots and last-mile opportunities
Autonomous delivery pilots offer experimental last-mile options, especially in urban micro-hubs. Keep an eye on pilot rollouts and assess them for low-cost local delivery in constrained urban footprints (Autonomous delivery pilot roundup).
Customs & plant product rules for international buyers
When you ship botanicals abroad, documentation is critical. Check destination phytosanitary requirements, and ensure your invoices include botanical names, processing dates, and extraction methods where relevant.
Operational checklist for fulfilment teams
- Standardise packing slips to include batch codes and harvest dates.
- Maintain a list of contingency couriers for each region (allow alternate routing during disruptions).
- Monitor carrier industrial action updates weekly and plan promotional schedules around likely delays.
Where to follow news and pilots
Use the Royal Mail updates for operational guidance and monitor pilot program roundups to decide whether to trial autonomous deliveries for inner-city last-mile logistics (industrial action update, autonomous delivery roundup).
Final note
Shipping is a risk surface — treat it as part of product strategy. Align packaging, documentation and carrier planning to protect margins and keep customer expectations realistic.
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Owen Clarke
Hardware Operations Lead
Senior editor and content strategist. Writing about technology, design, and the future of digital media. Follow along for deep dives into the industry's moving parts.
