Tag: UK

I think that most of those in marketing can understand that Royal Mail needs to change its postal prices to better reflect the costs of handling mail.

Although the price of sending most mail will not need to change, some items will be cheaper, and some more expensive. This seems fairer than the present system, where companies sending items that are cheaper to handle subsidise those whose mail is more costly.

We understand the concerns of mail order photograph developers, and have been talking to them to see if we can find a solution that does not hit them too hard when their postal subsidy ends. And we will continue to search for a viable solution.

Following talks with companies and industry bodies, Royal Mail has made a number of changes to its original proposals to address their concerns. For example, for Mailsort and Presstream customers, the proposals now carry an additional category for large letters and packets.

We believe that marketing companies will continue to be able to design outstanding and varied creative mailings within the simple formats we are proposing.

Lorna Clarkson, Director of commercial policy, management and pricing, Royal Mail, London EC1V

Royal Mail is attempting to strike a deal with mail order photo developers over the introduction of size-based pricing. The move follows mounting pressure from a group of MPs amid fears of industry meltdown. The postal operator is believed to have held a number of meetings with the leading companies in the sector, although a deal has yet to be secured to replace subsidies. Royal Mail director of commercial policy, management and pricing, Lorna Clarkson, says it will continue to search for a viable solution.

Royal Mail has signed an access agreement with Deutsche Post providing the German company with access to Royal Mail’s local sorting and delivery network.

From August 2004 Deutsche Post Global Mail will offer businesses mailing over 4,000 pre-sorted letters a day, a two-day mail delivery service. Under the agreement, DPGM will collect mail from its business customers and transport it to one of Royal Mail’s 72 Mail Centres around the UK for final sorting work. Royal Mail will then take the mail to its delivery offices, from where it will be delivered by Royal Mail’s 80,000 postmen and women.

For ordinary-sized letters weighing up to 60g – the weight range covered by basic postage – Royal Mail will be paid by Deutsche Post 13.0p for letters sorted down to the level of Royal Mail’s 1,450 Delivery Offices, and 13.375p for letters only sorted to the level of the 121 UK postcode areas.