Royal Mail issues crushing blow to online shoppers with plans to scrap popular service

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https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk ... s-21146342

Royal Mail has said it plans to scrap one of its most popular services

Delivery giant Royal Mail has said it plans to scrap one of its most popular services.

The delivery service says it wants to scrap Saturday deliveries - a service which many online shoppers rely on.

Any decision to scrap Saturday letter deliveries and signed-for parcels would need changes to the law, as the company is currently required to deliver letters for a fixed price, six days per week, under a universal service obligation (USO).

The review comes as it seeks to modernise and push through big cost savings by changing its ‘whole product offering.


Simon Thompson, the postal service’s new UK boss, is looking at the changes as part of a six-month review to focus on parcels industry.

With letter volumes in decline, bosses argue this requirement is outdated and leaves Royal Mail at a disadvantage versus rivals such as DHL and Amazon.

Despite this, Royal Mail bosses are said to want to scrap tracked, signed-for parcels because they are expensive to deliver, with many customers happy for packages to be left in a safe place if they are not home, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Ofcom, the communications regulator, has already backed the proposal to scrap Saturday letter deliveries in principle, says Devon Live.

It said consumer needs could still be met following the change, which could save Royal Mail between £125million and £225million.

Ofcom said the decision on changing the USO was ultimately up to MPs.

But the Communication Workers Union, which fears job cuts if services are trimmed, has previously said reducing letter deliveries would be ‘unforgivable’.

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Facebook : Update from DGS(P) Terry Pullinger on recent reports about the USO in Royal Mail. The business is not suggesting there should be a reduction in the USO and nor is the CWU