*********Press release 24th May 2024
The UK’s Greeting Card Association (GCA) today reacted to Ofcom’s announcement that it had opened a formal investigation into Royal Mail’s quality of service performance in 2023/24[1].
GCA chief executive officer said:
“Our members welcome Ofcom’s announcement this afternoon that they will formally investigate Royal Mail’s quality of service performance in 2023/24.
“Those members, and the consumers they serve, rely on a postal service that’s reliable, affordable and national – they’ve already told us loud and clear they’re not getting it.
“We know Royal Mail have asked to dilute their legal obligation to deliver six days a week to every UK address.
“But any reform of their obligations must be dependent on Royal Mail meeting the performance targets they’ve already signed up to.”
Earlier this week the GCA revealed a simple six point pledge as regulators and the government considers the future of the Royal Mail.
The GCA, which represents a thriving creative industry that contributes £1.5bn to the UK economy, is campaigning to prevent the Royal Mail postal service being given a 21st century ‘Beeching Axe’, with second class deliveries chopped back to just three days a week and runaway prices for first class mail.
The GCA is asking Ofcom and parliamentary candidates to renew their commitment to the Royal Mail service that British people love through six simple pledges:
In its ‘#Cardmitment’, the GCA is insisting Royal Mail, its owners, regulators and government must:
- Fix it First, then reform – insist Royal Mail meets existing performance targets before any USO changes.
- Keep Saturdays affordable– Protect the Saturday delivery service at an affordable price and make that price legally binding.
- Fully Price Protect all deliveries – Protect consumers from above-inflation price rises on 2nd class stamps, extend that protection to the first class service, and make any future price rises conditional on agreed service targets being met.
- Keep Royal Mail national – Protect an affordable single price delivery service to all UK households.
- Stop delivery discrimination – Prevent the prioritisation of parcel deliveries over letters and cards.
- Support high streets – Recognise the role a thriving postal service – including post offices – have in protecting high streets and communities up and down the country.
This #Cardmitment has been circulated to government, MPs and other stakeholders with a responsibility for shaping the future of the Royal Mail.
Next week it will be sent to all parliamentary candidates standing in the forthcoming general election.
Ofcom’s data indicates greeting cards are critical to how Royal Mail is perceived by end consumers. Cards are the most frequent things UK consumers post and 42 per cent of customers now say sending cards is the only time they use Royal Mail.
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Further information: gca@arena-pr.com
[1]https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/bulletins/enforcement-bulletin/open-cases/investigation-royal-mail-quality-of-service-performance-2324