Royal Mail could axe Saturday deliveries and signed for parcels in major company shake up

Saturday deliveries could be scrapped as the company undergoes a major shake up (Picture: Getty Images)Saturday deliveries could be scrapped as the company undergoes a major shake up (Picture: Getty Images)
Saturday deliveries could be scrapped as the company undergoes a major shake up (Picture: Getty Images)

Royal Mail are said to be considering scrapping Saturday letter deliveries and signed-for parcel services, in a major company shake up.

A review led by Royal Mail boss Simon Thompson, a former executive at Ocado and Apple, has been launched to review the "whole product suite and offering", The Telegraph reports.

Bringing an end to signed-for services would require a change to the law which governs Royal Mail's responsibility to provide a universal service, a final decision will be announced next year.

Lower letter volumes and increasing private competition

The Saturday letter delivery service could also be scrapped, meaning post would only be delivered on weekdays.

The shift comes as the company attempts to compete with the likes of Amazon, as letter sending declines and customers become less concerned about having signed-for deliveries.

In recent years, packages being sent by private companies have been increasingly left with neighbours or in safe places (such as garden sheds and recycling bins).

Royal Mail chairman Keith Williams has already suggested Saturday deliveries could be cut to counteract lower letter volumes.

Letter volumes have fallen by almost a fifth compared with pre-pandemic figures two years ago, Royal Mail announced on Wednesday.

Ofcom, the postal regulator, has considered and evaluated the impact of culling Saturday letter deliveries and determined the move would not impact people from receiving post in a timely fashion.

The move could save Royal Mail an estimated £225m. Meanwhile, private companies such as PS, FedEx , DHL and Amazon continue to compete for a share in the parcel delivery business.

Any decision to scrap the services would require MPs to back a move away from Royal Mail offering a universal service.