The price of stamps to rise

[pabenny]

In the other thread, you referred to

... Privatization of Royal Mail and the Post Office...

If you're suggesting I have some connection with RM or the Post Office or the privatisation of the former, you're entirely mistaken.

[macliam]

As I said, most people (in fact several I spoke to today) regard the Post Office as the people responsible for the Post (quelle surprise!) - the hiving off of Royal Mail for future privatization passed them by.....

People buy stamps at the Post Office and a "Postman" delivers their mail.... so unless you're interested in the business, it's an easy mistake to make. However, as pointed out, my opening post targeted Royal Mail specifically, so the fact that the unrelated split of Post Office Counters and Royal Mail is the focus of your replies does seem a tad strange........

The privatized Royal Mail are not winning any prizes, are they.......

[Richard Frost]

And again 4th time in two years

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68447820

[aupt]

Incredible

[Richard Frost]

Following the last rise on 2nd April 1st class stamps are due to rise yet again on 7th October
Current price £1.35
New price to be £1.65

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/ ... rice-rise/

Royal Mail blames the latest hikes on increasing cost pressures and its requirement under the 'universal service obligation' to deliver letters to all UK addresses six days a week. It adds that the number of addresses it delivers to rose by four million between 2004/05 and 2023/24. Nick Landon, chief commercial officer at Royal Mail, said: "We always consider price increases very carefully. However, when letter volumes have declined by two-thirds since their peak, the cost of delivering each letter inevitably increases. "A complex and extensive network is needed to get every letter and parcel across the country for a single price – travelling on trucks, planes, ferries and in some cases drones before it reaches its final destination on foot. We are proud to deliver the universal service, but the financial cost is significant.

[parchedpeas]

They are trying to kill it off. And they'll succeed.

[blythburgh]

They are trying to kill it off. And they'll succeed.

How many people will actually use 1st class at that price when they can post early and save a huge amount of money?

[Richard Frost]

I suspect very few people who pay for their stamps use 1st class. IMO having a first and second class post is part of the problem, better to have one class and a median price. But the truth is snail mail is pretty much obsolete nowadays. It is mainly parcels they deliver to the Frost household and that is part of a very competitive market.

[Chadwick]

99% of the post I receive is pre-franked business mail. Most of that is instantly disposable. Greetings cards are just about the only real post I receive. I send stamped post myself equally rarely.

[pabenny]

They are trying to kill it off.

Who is trying to kill off what?

The reality is that we're all responsible for the decline in postal volumes. I don't even look at my paperless bank statements because I check the app regularly. Most of my savings accounts are online only; all my utility bills are paperless and I browse online stores rather than receiving 'mail order' catalogues. At work, nearly all incoming and outbound invoices are emailed

Royal Mail figures show letter volumes declining by two thirds over the last 20 years. The number of posties needed won't have dropped by that amount, though. And they still need a similar number of sorting and delivery offices.