Royal Mail Reforms: Say Goodbye to Saturday Deliveries!

Royal Mail is undergoing major changes to its delivery system, scrapping Saturday deliveries for second-class letters to cut costs. Starting July 28, second-class mail will only be delivered on alternating weekdays, either on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday or Tuesday and Thursday, a move approved by the industry regulator Ofcom in light of declining letter volumes and rising stamp prices. Ofcom acknowledges the necessity for reforms to ensure Royal Mail’s viability, leading to anticipated savings of between £250 million and £425 million annually.

The reforms come amid a significant drop in letter volumes—from 20 billion in 2004-05 to just 6.6 billion in 2023-24—while prices continue to rise, with a first-class stamp going from 85p to £1.70 since 2022. Despite these changes, Royal Mail will still be required to deliver first-class mail six days a week.

Critics from consumer groups such as Citizens Advice and the UK Greeting Card Association argue that these reforms may weaken service reliability and push costs onto consumers who rely on second-class mail. The regulatory adjustments also include changes to delivery targets, reducing the required percentage of first-class mail delivered next-day from 93% to 90%, while second-class delivery expectations are cut from 98.5% within three days to 95%.

The landscape for postal services is rapidly evolving as Royal Mail’s parent company, the International Distribution Services (IDS), welcomes the changes, highlighting the need to align with modern mailing practices. However, concerns remain that merely cutting services won’t lead to improved mail reliability. Ofcom’s enforcement actions, which have resulted in fines for missed targets, add further pressure on Royal Mail to adapt effectively to these new regulations.