Particle.news

Download on the App Store

Royal Mail Back to Profit as IDS Says Saturday Second‑Class Cuts Will Take Months

The turnaround follows EP Group’s takeover, with reforms still confined to 35 pilot offices.

Overview

  • Royal Mail posted an underlying profit of £12 million for the year to March 31, or an £8 million loss once redundancy costs are included.
  • IDS said axing Saturday second‑class deliveries will be phased over many months into 2026, with changes so far limited to 35 pilot delivery offices.
  • Ofcom has approved ending Saturday second‑class rounds and moving to alternate weekday deliveries, while first‑class must still run Monday to Saturday and second‑class target remains three working days.
  • The company continues to fall short on speed targets, with 75.9% of first‑class post delivered next day against the regulator’s 90% standard.
  • Management is pushing a parcels‑led model, expanding out‑of‑home locations to about 24,000 and growing GLS’s access‑point and locker networks, as parcel volumes rose 6% and addressed letters fell 4%.