Overview
- The company published its last recommended posting dates on Tuesday, October 27, with Second Class due by December 18, Tracked 48 by December 19, First Class and Tracked 24 by December 21, and Special Delivery Guaranteed by December 23.
- To cope with the Christmas surge Royal Mail has hired 22,000 seasonal workers, added 7,500 hire vans to its roughly 44,000‑vehicle fleet, and is hiring about 1,400 haulage contractors each day.
- Operational changes include extra evening deliveries until 8pm, expanded Sunday processing to clear weekend shopping peaks, and more use of postboxes, lockers and parcel points to spread volume.
- The company has paused extending its second‑class delivery overhaul to the remaining offices until January in agreement with the postal workers' union to focus staff on the peak period.
- Royal Mail reports improved on‑time performance versus last year and urges customers to use clear addresses, apply correct postage, follow BFPO and international cutoffs, and stay alert for seasonal online scams.