UK Christmas mail volumes

Mail volumes typically rise from about 80m items a day to 140m during the Christmas period, but much of the extra volume has gone second-class. Total volume has also stuck at about 3bn for the last couple of years.

Next month, Royal Mail will launch a Pounds 1.5m promotional game giving customers the chance of winning up to Pounds 1m when they buy a book of first-class stamps. There will be one prize a day for 31 days, ranging from Pounds 10,000 to Pounds 1m.

The aim is to raise profits by encouraging customers to send Christmas mail through the higher margin first-class system, rather than using a cheaper second-class stamp.

from article in Financial Times
Sir Elton to deliver Royal Mail’s message
Financial Times; Oct 24, 2001
By KEVIN BROWN

Royal Mail has signed Sir Elton John to front its Christmas post campaign after clearing the way for a trouble-free holiday by agreeing a no-strike deal with the postal unions.