Royal Mail raises prices for B2B and commercial

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http://www.printweek.com/news/780361/Ro ... ommercial/

Financial constraints on printers will increase in 2008 as Royal Mail has announced price hikes for its business-to-business mailing.

However, according to postal price comparison website Post-Switch, the price increases are more likely to affect upstream mailing providers such as TNT and DHL.

From 7 April, Royal Mail will be increasing its Mailsort tariff rates. Mailsort two is going up by 1.5p per unit and Mailsort three is up 0.8p.

Commercial mail prices will also increase, with a first class mailer costing 36p, up from 34p, and the second class price increasing from 24p to 27p.

Jonathan DeCarteret, senior postal analyst at Post-Switch, said: “What we are witnessing here is an attempt by Royal Mail to reduce the margin between its retail rates and the downstream access rates it charges competitors to access the final mile.

“Mail operators wishing to maintain a price advantage over Royal Mail are going to have to reduce their profits.â€