Businesses stop taking orders as Christmas deliveries still missing due to postal walkouts

Small business owners have described losing sales and scaling back their online offering as Royal Mail strikes in the lead up to Christmas mean some of their products still haven’t been delivered to customers.

Ruth Redgate, owner of Hunny Pot Cottage Bakery in Elford, Staffordshire, which ran a subscription service, cancelled Christmas deliveries after her bread was turning up to customers late and stale.

“Normally at Christmas, I would see a rush – especially last minute – for the subscription boxes that I offer, but I’ve had to suspend posting as I just can’t afford for bread to be sitting in a depot instead of being delivered, as that means it won’t arrive fresh and in the best condition possible,” Ms Redgate told i.

She is now investigating other delivery options to make sure customers get their orders.

“I’m actually spending today looking at the various courier options that are out there, which is a minefield especially if you don’t have the economies of scale to get discounts,” she said.

“The plus side that they are offering – which Royal Mail doesn’t – is tracking. Some of them have come down in price since I last investigated and I’m wondering whether this is a result of the strike action.

“But they are still more expensive and I’m just not sure in the current economic climate whether customers are prepared to pay this additional cost, especially as I’m having to review all my base ingredient prices as well.”

The strike action has made Ms Redgate “seriously” consider the range of products she offers via postal delivery and she is considering attending more markets or running classes to reach customers instead.

She added: “They do give you a chance to get to know your customers, who become regulars and indeed some become friends and to pass on your knowledge which I’m always happy to do if I can. I’m also looking to see if I can offer more of my courses and expanding into the team building sector, but need connections to see how these could be integrated”.

The strike action has also affected Luisa Vicinanza-Bedi’s artisan chocolate business, Luisa’s Vegan Chocolates, based in Nottingham.

She runs the company with her daughter, Isabella, but despite careful planning and stocking next day deliveries, said the team lost “at least the last week of Christmas sales” due to the postal strikes.

“We had to make the decision to close Christmas deliveries earlier – we encouraged customers from the first week of December to order next-day delivery rather than 1st or 2nd class,” Ms Vicinanza-Bedi told i.

“I had seen pictures of the backlog before [the Christmas rush] and the photos were horrendous, it really terrified us. I am sympathetic to the strikers though. Everyone needs to be paid fairly, at the end of the day.”

She added that her customers have generally been “very sympathetic” but some have vented their frustration at the business.

“Some think its our fault their chocolates haven’t arrived, but once it’s sent to the post office it’s out of our hands,” she said.

The company, which champions women cocoa farmers in Colombia and pays up to 69 per cent more than other artisan brands, has recently launched in Selfridges. Moving into the new year, Ms Vicinanza-Bedi is concerned customers will be faced with more delays, particularly during “Veganuary”.

“We’re already struggling to keep up with the demand for the new year, and luckily we have supportive customers – but if the strikes carry on there will be disruption for us,” the chocolatier said.

Meanwhile, Laura Botfield-Cotton, founder of The Moongazing Hare, an artisan stained glass decorations company in Edinburgh, has seen a 90 per cent drop in online sales compared to the same time last year.

“Customers have no trust in Royal Mail,” she said. “Tracked 24 hour [delivery] has been taking up to seven days, and Tracked 48 hour up to two weeks. I am very grateful that my customers have been shopping in person at makers and artisan markets more due to the strikes.”

In Cambridge, Michelle, founder of Shells Home Boutique, a home decor company, said the strikes have incurred long delays and broken products in some instances.

“I have found that the Royal Mail strikes have impacted me on parcels getting lost in transit – plus more breakages of items,” she said.

“Some customers are having to wait up to a month to receive items. It’s not ideal for us small business owners.”

Other small businesses owners have tweeted their frustration. Ai Valentine, an illustrator and comic artist, has asked customers to be “patient” with orders from their Etsy shop, Occult Trash.

They tweeted: “The Royal Mail strikes have led to such huge delays on all orders, domestic and international, and yelling over messages that yours is late will not make it arrive any faster.”

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We are very sorry for the impact that the CWU’s strike action is having on our business customers. We have been clear with the CWU that industrial action undermines the trust of our customers. We operate in a competitive market, and our customers have choices. Continued strike action will force our customers to make those choices sooner rather than later.”