Royal Mail could soon ditch some Saturday post in major changes

Royal Mail plans to ditch Saturday postal deliveries are now being considered by Ofcom, the industry regulator confirmed today.

Regulator Ofcom said it is considering plans to axe Saturday deliveries for second class post, but keeping first class unchanged as it looks at UK postal service reforms. The industry watchdog, which has been consulting on the future of the universal postal service, said it is now focusing efforts on the option of allowing Royal Mail to ditch the Saturday service for second class post and delivering on alternative weekdays.

Under these plans, second class postal delivery times would remain unchanged at three working days, while first class post would continue to be a six-day-a-week service.

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Ofcom said no decision had been made and it continues to review the changes, with aims to publish a consultation in early 2025 and make a decision in the summer of next year.

Lindsey Fussell, Ofcom’s group director for networks and communications, said: “Postal users’ needs are at the heart of our review. If we decide to propose changes to the universal service next year, we want to make sure we achieve the best outcome for consumers.

“So we’re now looking at whether we can get the universal service back on an even keel in a way that meets people’s needs. But this won’t be a free pass for Royal Mail – under any scenario, it must invest in its network, become more efficient and improve its service levels.”

Royal Mail owner International Distribution Services (IDS), which agreed a £3.57 billion takeover by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky in May, said “change cannot come soon enough” to the UK’s postal service.

Royal Mail proposed ditching Saturday deliveries for second class post and cutting the service to every other weekday in its submission to Ofcom in April. Martin Seidenberg, group chief executive of IDS, said: “Our proposal for the future of the universal service has been developed after speaking to thousands of people across the country, and is designed to protect what matters most for customers.

“It can be achieved through regulatory change with no need for new legislation. The universal service faces a very real and urgent financial sustainability challenge. Change cannot come soon enough.”