Customers
‘would accept 
Post changes’

Consumers may be willing to accept a reduced number of postal deliveries and the removal of the distinction between first and second class mail, according to new research.
By The Newsroom
Published 21st Jul 2012, 07:00 BST

Consumer Focus said people would want a number of “paybacks” for the changes, including longer Royal Mail opening hours and more convenient locations.

Customers would also want greater innovation in the delivery of parcels and packs.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Its research, taken from 28 focus groups across the UK, found that businesses would only be prepared to lose Saturday deliveries, while residents would accept reduced deliveries during the week.

Robert Hammond, director of postal policy at Consumer Focus, said: “There is a growing tension between the substance of the universal postal service and its sustainability. Consumers should not be obliged to pay a premium for a ‘gold-plated’ service.

“But that means that policymakers will need to think long and hard about how to ensure that technological advance and changing markets deliver good value and service to consumers, particularly the most vulnerable.”

Royal Mail spokesman James Eadie said: “We will study the report in detail. We are committed to the universal service and to keeping the customer at the heart of our business.”

Related topics:Royal Mail