UK Royal Mail launches 9am special delivery service
Royal Mail has launched a direct challenge to the courier market with a Special Delivery packaged delivery service guaranteed by 9am the next working day, or your money back. With highly competitive costs, beginning at £6.95 to anywhere in the UK, the move is set to challenge the market, driving costs down.
Ross Drake, Head of Special Delivery, said, “With the next day delivery market totalling over 426m items sent in the UK every year, this move into the 9am market could potentially bring Royal Mail a further £50 to £100m annual revenue. We are looking to take 25% of this market that has already grown by 66% over the last five years. However it is a competitive space so it is even more vital to provide the service that businesses need. We made a commitment to introduce more products and services tailored to fit businesses needs and this is a perfect example of our delivery on that pledge.”
Aimed at businesses that see the competitive advantage in early delivery, into the hands of the recipient, Royal Mail is responding to increasing consumer and business demands for urgent deliveries. The new service will provide extensive benefits to further its appeal and provide increased peace of mind for the sender including:
* Track and trace from despatch to delivery
* Signature, name and time of delivery captured on delivery card
* Proof of posting receipts
* Compensation for loss or damage
Ross continues, “Consumers and businesses are experiencing increasing levels of urgency and we have responded to that. To win business today you need to deliver faster and more reliably. We believe that we can provide this service to our customers for a fraction of the cost charged by our competitors. Our customers look for the reliability and guarantee to deliver to anywhere in the UK that only Royal Mail offers, no matter how remote the location – the earlier delivery option will only enhance this service.”
Comments Bernadette Ebene, Managing Director of Fair Broadband, Royal Mail pilot customer, “Fair Broadband is concerned with getting modems to customers speedily, allowing them to access the Internet quickly and easily. We are delighted that Royal Mail is launching a 9am Special Delivery product. With modems averaging between £80-£100 each, we need a guaranteed, ‘signed for’ service and Special Delivery provides just that – at a fraction of normal courier charges.”
The 9am service can be accessed via Post Office Limited, through a regular business collection, or via an “On-demand” collection service available for an additional charge of £5.50.
Standard compensation cover of £50 comes as standard within the basic cost, however additional compensation cover up to £2,500 can be purchased.
