Royal Mail has implemented a price increase for its stamps. The cost of a first-class stamp is now £1.80, while a second-class stamp is priced at 91p. This marks a significant rise from the 2016 price of 64p, indicating a 181% increase over the past decade.
The postal service attributes this price hike to a decline in the volume of letters being sent, coupled with a rise in the number of delivery addresses. Richard Travers, Royal Mail’s managing director of letters, emphasized the careful consideration given to price adjustments to balance affordability with the escalating expenses of mail delivery.
Amidst these changes, Royal Mail continues to face criticism for falling short of its delivery targets. In the 2024/25 financial year, the company achieved on-time delivery rates of 77% for first-class mail and 92.5% for second-class mail, below its respective targets of 93% and 98.5%. The last time Royal Mail met its annual target for timely first-class post delivery was in 2019/20.
To adapt to evolving demands and operational efficiency, Royal Mail received approval from Ofcom to discontinue Saturday deliveries for second-class post. Additionally, second-class post will now be delivered on alternate weekdays, rather than six days a week. Despite these adjustments, Royal Mail remains committed to ensuring that second-class letters arrive within three working days.
Royal Mail, acquired in June last year by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky’s EP Group for £3.6 billion, acknowledges the challenges faced in maintaining service quality. Mr. Kretinsky expressed regret over delayed deliveries and stressed the need for systemic reforms to address operational issues. While admitting that service quality falls short of expectations, he highlighted the company’s consistent performance over the past three years.
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