Price rise at La Poste as new services announced
La Poste is to increase the price of mailing letters under 20g, as well as launching two new services.
The French national operator said the price of posting a letter under 20g will increase by 2 cents to EUR 0.60, as it revealed the launch of a sustainable and hybrid mail products.
Upon announcing the price hike, which comes into force on 1 July 2011, the company said the “increase is accompanied by a commitment to rate stability in 2012”.
It is expected that the move “will have little impact on households” in France, with the average outlay going-up by 10 cents a month.
La Poste said that with this rate adjustment, “the price of stamps will have risen by 11% in five years, while service quality improves, and the number of letters have fallen by almost a quarter”.
The operator confirmed that the new postage rate remains within the European “average”.
Furthermore, with a view to reducing its ecological footprint, La Poste will launch a new delivery service for individuals and businesses. This new product, available from October, will be more economical, whilst ensuring levels of “reliability and quality” are kept. Since the product will not be transported by air, it will be cheaper than the new postage tariff at EUR 0.57.
Additionally, October will also see the launch of a new hybrid mail service. Generated and sent via a customer’s computer, the letter is then printed and distributed by the operator. A next-day option is guaranteed for letters sent before 7pm French time. The cost of the service stands at EUR 0.99, including printing and the envelope.
