First Class stamp going up to 1.25 from October

[simmo11]

https://www.internationaldistributionss ... mp-prices/

From 2 October 2023, the price of First Class stamps will increase by 15p to £1.25 due to increasing cost pressures, the challenging economic environment, and the lack of reform of the Universal Service Obligation (USO) despite the significant structural decline in letter volumes. The price of Second Class stamps will remain at 75p.

The new price of a First Class stamp is in line with European median prices, and Second Class stamp prices remain well below the median.* Royal Mail has sought to keep price increases as low as possible in the face of declining letter volumes. Letter volumes have fallen from 20 billion in 2004/5 to 7 billion a year in 2022/3, while the number of addresses has risen by four million in the same period.

The USO – which currently requires Royal Mail to deliver letters to all 32 million UK addresses six days a week – is in need of urgent reform. Royal Mail has been clear that the cost of delivering an ever-decreasing number of letters to an ever-growing number of households six days a week is unsustainable.

Ofcom’s own research in 2020 shows that that a five day a week Monday to Friday letters service would meet the needs of 97% of consumers and SMEs. Given the ongoing decline in letters, Royal Mail continues to call on Ofcom and the Government to review and modernise the USO to better reflect changing customer needs.

At the full year results in May 2023, Royal Mail reported a £419 million loss.

Nick Landon, Chief Commercial Officer at Royal Mail said: “We understand the economic challenges that many of our customers are currently facing and have considered the price changes very carefully in light of the significant decline in letter volumes.

“Letter volumes have reduced dramatically over recent years, down more than 60% from their peak in 2004/5 and 30% since the pandemic. It is vital that the Universal Service adapts to reflect this new reality.”

[Superbuss1886]

13.6%! Yet I've only had one delivery in the last three weeks. Hopefully this will be used to recruit cover for annual leave, sick and rest days.

[Pidleypoo]

The biggest reason that letters are declining is the scandalous amount they charge for the garbage service you get.

[mjd24]

How much do businesses pay per letter, for example banks, energy companies etc?

[Moose67]

And yet we collect from people's houses for nothing how is this allowed to happen

[simmo11]

Seems to me they're trying to force the regulator's hand, or at least prove a political point.

Could it be a cynical ploy also to get people off first class and onto second ahead of Christmas, so they have less of a leg to stand on when inland cards are taking 2 weeks to arrive? This year they won't have COVID or strikes to fall back on...

Just my view...

[pieoftheday]

https://www.internationaldistributionss ... mp-prices/

Time for a conspiracy theory? Managed decline?Government removed/decreased services the Sub Post offices could provide. The Government/PostOffice started to close sub offices because people weren't using them because some services had gone,passports, driving license etc.the Government no longer had to subsidies sub offices as posties were now transferred to DOs. Now granted RM are no longer Government owned but, RM hike stamp prices and because of this people are reluctant to post letters /flats, then RM say letters are down massively so can we reduce the USO? Load of old bollox?

[simmo11]

https://www.internationaldistributionss ... mp-prices/

Time for a conspiracy theory? Managed decline?Government removed/decreased services the Sub Post offices could provide. The Government/PostOffice started to close sub offices because people weren't using them because some services had gone,passports, driving license etc.the Government no longer had to subsidies sub offices as posties were now transferred to DOs. Now granted RM are no longer Government owned but, RM hike stamp prices and because of this people are reluctant to post letters /flats, then RM say letters are down massively so can we reduce the USO? Load of old bollox?

It does seem that there are strains of self -fulfilling prophecy here...

[richietns]

https://www.internationaldistributionss ... mp-prices/

Time for a conspiracy theory? Managed decline?Government removed/decreased services the Sub Post offices could provide. The Government/PostOffice started to close sub offices because people weren't using them because some services had gone,passports, driving license etc.the Government no longer had to subsidies sub offices as posties were now transferred to DOs. Now granted RM are no longer Government owned but, RM hike stamp prices and because of this people are reluctant to post letters /flats, then RM say letters are down massively so can we reduce the USO? Load of old bollox?

Its a well trodden path the NHS is doing the exact same thing alot of its privatised already you just never here it in the mainstream media.

[Mr Rush]

Managed decline?

Engineered decline. Of letters and more. RM is one of the last mass employers and we're living through an intensified technocratic war against the power of labour.

[Basildon Bond]

Managed decline?

Engineered decline. Of letters and more. RM is one of the last mass employers and we're living through an intensified technocratic war against the power of labour.

I personally don't think so. My understanding of "technocratic" doesn't match RM - "experts in science or technology"? Really? It's just greed. Pure, simple, naked greed. RM does not want to offer a quality service that they are uniquely positioned to do. They want to rape the market for whatever they can get away with.

[richietns]

Managed decline?

Engineered decline. Of letters and more. RM is one of the last mass employers and we're living through an intensified technocratic war against the power of labour.

I personally don't think so. My understanding of "technocratic" doesn't match RM - "experts in science or technology"? Really? It's just greed. Pure, simple, naked greed. RM does not want to offer a quality service that they are uniquely positioned to do. They want to rape the market for whatever they can get away with.

The title technocratic doesn't matter its still blatantly engineered to make the top managers/shareholders richer I think Simon left because he failed to do this,as much as the union failed we still put up a good fight.

[Mr Rush]

My understanding of "technocratic" doesn't match RM - "experts in science or technology"?

While Simon may not know what a PDA is, technocracy is about decision-making based on scientific knowledge. The problem is how that information is acquired and its relationship with reality (I've studied social sciences in tertiary education, it's nothing like physics). You've heard of 'lies, damned lies, and statistics'.

[simmo11]

Somewhat ironically, it's also World Letter Writing Day today.

[Rommagic]

Cheaper stamp more would use?.