35 Snail Mail Innovations

Sending handwritten letters by snail mail may be a thing of the past, but postal systems are evolving to keep up with tech-savvy consumers who shop online and prefer the convenience of sending and receiving digital mail.

Physical letters and envelopes are now becoming more enticing to send, thanks to special scents, flavors and features like built-in QR codes that connect recipient and sender. Connecting givers and receivers is also proving to be a popular theme in other snail mail innovations like the mail-based Real Network by the Royal Mail Group, Snail Mail My Email and the Omni Present gift-wrapping system.

Physical mail is also becoming easier to collect with parcel pickup shops set up in UK train stations, drones being tested by French mail service La Poste, as well as apps like Mr. Postman and Postybell.