Ofcom Proposes Changes to Royal Mail Services

The UK communications regulator, Ofcom, has proposed changes to Royal Mail's delivery services, allowing the company to cut Saturday deliveries for second-class letters and deliver them only on alternate weekdays. First-class letters will continue to be delivered six days a week, maintaining the price cap on second-class stamps. These changes aim to address declining letter volumes, which have decreased from 20 billion annually two decades ago to 6.6 billion this year and are expected to fall to 4 billion. Ofcom estimates potential annual savings for Royal Mail of £250 million to £425 million, which could be redirected towards improving service reliability and efficiency. The proposal is open for consultation until April 10, with a final decision expected in the summer. This initiative aligns with Royal Mail's push for regulatory reform amid financial sustainability challenges and complements its recent acquisition by Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský's EP Group.