Latest news with #SaturdayDeliveries
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Royal Mail gets green light to scrap second class post on Saturdays
Royal Mail has been given the green light to scrap Saturday deliveries for second class post and switch to an alternate weekday service instead from later this month, regulator Ofcom has announced. From 28 July, Royal Mail will axe the six-days-a-week service for second class letters, but will maintain Monday to Saturday deliveries for first class post. Ofcom said it would keep the target for second class letters to arrive within three working days despite the changes, which come after a lengthy consultation and aims to 'help the universal service to survive.' First-class letters will still have to be delivered by the next working day, Monday to Saturday, and a cap will continue on the price of a second-class stamp. Royal Mail's parent company, International Distribution Services, welcomed the regulator's announcement, stating it was 'good news for customers across the UK'. Ofcom revealed it had also launched a review of the price of stamps amid concerns over affordability. The regulator is setting new backstop delivery targets so that 99 per cent of post has to be delivered no more than two days late. Ofcom said reforms of the Universal Services Obligation reflected changing behaviour of customers, with fewer letters being sent across Britain. Less than a third of letters are sent now than 20 years ago, and this number is forecast to fall to about a fifth of the letters previously sent. The regulator said it could end up saving the postal delivery service between £250million and £425million each year. Natalie Black, Ofcom's group director for networks and communications, said: 'These changes are in the best interests of consumers and businesses, as urgent reform of the postal service is necessary to give it the best chance of survival. 'But changing Royal Mail's obligations alone won't guarantee a better service – the company now has to play its part and implement this effectively. 'We'll be making sure Royal Mail is clear with its customers about what's happening, and passes the benefits of these changes on to them.' On Thursday, Martin Seidenberg, chief executive of IDS, said the changes followed 'extensive consultation with thousands of people and businesses' to reflect their needs and the 'realities of how customers send and receive mail today'. But, consumer group Citizens Advice said Royal Mail had a 'woeful track record of failing to meet delivery targets, all the while ramping up postage costs.' Tom MacInnes, Citizens Advice director of policy, said Ofcom had 'missed a major opportunity to bring about meaningful change.' He added: 'Pushing ahead with plans to slash services and relax delivery targets in the name of savings won't automatically make letter deliveries more reliable or improve standards.' The regulator should force Royal Mail to give 'paying customers a service that delivers, Maclnnes said. Responding to Ofcom's announcement, a government spokesperson said: 'The public expects a well-run postal service, with letters arriving on time across the country without it costing the earth. 'With the way people use postal services having changed, it's right the regulator has looked at this. 'We now need Royal Mail to work with unions and posties to deliver a service that people expect, and this includes maintaining the principle of one price to send a letter anywhere in the UK'. What is happening at Royal Mail? Royal Mail has been laden with problems over the years. It has also been loss-making amid dwindling revenue. In 2019, Royal Mail staff voted overwhelmingly for strike action amid dispute between workers and the firm over job security and terms and conditions of employment. In May 2023, Royal Mail's boss Simon Thompson stepped down from his role. Last month, Royal Mail's latest boss quit weeks after the postal service fell into foreign hands for the first time in its 509-year history. In a move that caught the business world by surprise, Emma Gilthorpe left having been appointed chief executive a little over a year ago. The former Heathrow director has been replaced on an interim basis by chief operating officer Alistair Cochrane. Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, an energy tycoon nicknamed the 'Czech Sphinx' for his inscrutable approach to his business decisions, swooped on Royal Mail's parent company IDS with a £3.6billion offer last year. after IDS shareholders backed the deal in May.
Telegraph
10-07-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Royal Mail allowed to scrap second-class Saturday deliveries
Royal Mail will be allowed to scrap Saturday deliveries for second-class post after the cost-cutting move was approved by regulators. Under a radical overhaul announced by Ofcom, the postal service will now deliver second-class letters on as few as two days a week as part of an alternate weekday service from July 28. The regulator said the plans, which would still require letters to be delivered within three working days of collection, could help Royal Mail save between £250m and £425m a year. Ofcom also said its delivery targets will be reduced. The announcement comes after Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky completed his £3.6bn takeover of Royal Mail, which has already led to the departure of the company's chief executive in recent weeks. The deal marks the first time the postal service has fallen into foreign ownership in its 500-year history. Following the latest changes to delivery rules, union leaders warned they were not a solution to 'clear problems on the ground' as Royal Mail struggles to recruit and retain staff. 'Best interest of consumers' Ofcom's director for networks and communications Natalie Black said: 'These changes are in the best interests of consumers and businesses, as urgent reform of the postal service is necessary to give it the best chance of survival. 'But changing Royal Mail's obligations alone won't guarantee a better service – the company now has to play its part and implement this effectively. 'We'll be making sure Royal Mail is clear with its customers about what's happening, and passes the benefits of these changes on to them.' Ms Black also signalled a looming rise in stamp prices: 'As part of this process, we've been listening to concerns about increases in stamp prices. So we've launched a review of affordability and plan to publicly consult on this next year.' However, the postal service will still be required to deliver first-class letters the next working day from Monday to Saturday, and there will continue to be a cap on the price of a second-class stamp. Dave Ward, general secretary of the CWU union, said: 'These changes are not a 'one-stop solution' for the problems in the postal service – the real culprit behind these issues is Royal Mail's inability to properly recruit and retain staff, which has led to workloads piling up in delivery offices and vital letters being left behind. 'The new owners of Royal Mail must ensure that the culture of mismanagement and inferior pay and conditions for new staff does not continue under their leadership.'
The Independent
10-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Royal Mail given go-ahead to make changes to second-class post service
Royal Mail has been granted permission by regulator Ofcom to cease Saturday deliveries for second-class post, effective from 28 July. The postal service will discontinue its six-day-a-week service for second-class letters, moving them to an alternative weekday schedule. First-class post will, however, retain its Monday to Saturday delivery. Ofcom confirmed the three-working-day delivery target for second-class letters remains unchanged. The significant shift follows extensive consultation, aiming to bolster the universal postal service's long-term viability. Ofcom added it had also launched a review of the price of stamps amid concerns over affordability, while it is also setting new backstop delivery targets so that 99% of mail has to be delivered no more than two days late. Natalie Black, Ofcom's group director for networks and communications, said: 'These changes are in the best interests of consumers and businesses, as urgent reform of the postal service is necessary to give it the best chance of survival. 'But changing Royal Mail's obligations alone won't guarantee a better service – the company now has to play its part and implement this effectively. 'We'll be making sure Royal Mail is clear with its customers about what's happening, and passes the benefits of these changes on to them.' Martin Seidenberg, group chief executive of Royal Mail parent firm International Distribution Services, said: 'We welcome today's announcement from Ofcom. 'It is good news for customers across the UK as it supports the delivery of a reliable, efficient and financially sustainable universal service. 'It follows extensive consultation with thousands of people and businesses to ensure that the postal service better reflects their needs and the realities of how customers send and receive mail today.' On the changes to the Royal Mail service and Ofcom's stamp review, a Government spokesperson said: 'The public expects a well-run postal service, with letters arriving on time across the country without it costing the earth. 'With the way people use postal services having changed, it's right the regulator has looked at this. 'We now need Royal Mail to work with unions and posties to deliver a service that people expect, and this includes maintaining the principle of one price to send a letter anywhere in the UK.'
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Royal Mail given green light to scrap second class Saturday post from July 28
Royal Mail will be allowed to scrap Saturday deliveries for second class post and switch to an alternate weekday service instead from later this month, regulator Ofcom has announced. The regulator said that from July 28, Royal Mail will axe the six-days-a-week service for second class letters, but will maintain Monday to Saturday deliveries for first class post. It said it would keep the target for second class letters to arrive within three working days despite the changes, which come after a lengthy consultation and aims to 'help the universal service to survive'. We're reforming the UK's postal service so it delivers what people need: ✅ First Class still next-day Mon-Sat📆 Second Class: every other weekday🛑 New delivery targets to cut long delays💷 2nd class stamp price cap remains 🔗 — Ofcom (@Ofcom) July 10, 2025 Ofcom added it had also launched a review of the price of stamps amid concerns over affordability, while it is also setting new backstop delivery targets so that 99% of mail has to be delivered no more than two days late. Natalie Black, Ofcom's group director for networks and communications, said: 'These changes are in the best interests of consumers and businesses, as urgent reform of the postal service is necessary to give it the best chance of survival. 'But changing Royal Mail's obligations alone won't guarantee a better service – the company now has to play its part and implement this effectively. 'We'll be making sure Royal Mail is clear with its customers about what's happening, and passes the benefits of these changes on to them.'
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
What we know about Royal Mail's changes to Saturday and weekday deliveries
Royal Mail will be allowed to ditch Saturday deliveries for second class post and switch to an alternate weekday service, regulator Ofcom has confirmed. In January, the regulator said it had provisionally concluded that reducing the second class letter service to alternate weekdays, while keeping first class deliveries six days a week, would continue to meet postal users' needs. Now, Ofcom has confirmed that these plans will go ahead, starting from 28 July. It is thought that the switch will save Royal Mail between £250 million and £425 million a year. The target for second class letters to arrive within three working days will be kept despite the changes, which come after a lengthy consultation and aims to 'help the universal service to survive'. There will also be a review of the price of stamps amid concerns over affordability, Ofcom added, while it is also setting new backstop delivery targets so that 99% of mail has to be delivered no more than two days late. Natalie Black, Ofcom's group director for networks and communications, said: 'These changes are in the best interests of consumers and businesses, as urgent reform of the postal service is necessary to give it the best chance of survival. 'But changing Royal Mail's obligations alone won't guarantee a better service – the company now has to play its part and implement this effectively. 'We'll be making sure Royal Mail is clear with its customers about what's happening, and passes the benefits of these changes on to them.'
