Royal Mail has once again fallen short of its official delivery targets for first and second-class mail, though the company maintains that its ongoing turnaround strategy is yielding measurable improvements. Between March and June, the firm successfully delivered 85% of first-class mail by the next day, marking a notable increase from the 76% recorded during the same period in 2025. Despite this gain, the figure remains below the 90% threshold mandated by the regulator, Ofcom.
Performance for second-class mail also saw a slight uptick, with 91% of items arriving within three days. While this represents progress compared to the previous year, it still fails to reach Ofcom’s 95% target. Royal Mail, now owned by International Distribution Services following its 2025 acquisition by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, has faced persistent challenges, including a shrinking letter market and heightened competition.
Chief operating officer Jamie Stephenson described the latest results as “encouraging,” noting that they demonstrate the effectiveness of current service improvements. Stephenson emphasized that first-class performance is currently exceeding internal expectations, while second-class delivery is tracking according to the company’s broader recovery plan. He acknowledged that significant work remains, highlighting a £500m investment initiative designed to overhaul the network over the next five years, with a firm commitment to meeting Ofcom’s standards by May 2027.
The postal service has endured years of public and political scrutiny regarding slow delivery times. Currently, the company is under investigation by Ofcom for the second consecutive year due to its failure to meet regulatory requirements. This follows a record £21m fine imposed by the regulator in October 2024 for missing targets during the previous fiscal year.
Operational credibility has been further strained by internal and external controversies. In March, postal workers across the UK alleged that they were instructed by management to hide or relocate mail to artificially inflate performance statistics. Additionally, the firm has faced intense criticism over localized service failures, including months-long delays in Gloucester—which the company admitted were “totally unacceptable”—and recent complaints from residents in Worcestershire regarding missing hospital appointments and weeks of undelivered post.
Stephenson credited the recent progress to the dedication of frontline staff, particularly during recent periods of extreme heat. As the company moves forward with its £500m investment, it continues to navigate the dual pressure of regulatory oversight and the need to restore public trust in its national delivery network. The report also notes that while Second Class is tracking in line with the plan, first Class performance is well ahead of where we expected to be at this stage of our Improvement Plan. The report also notes that the regulator fined it a record £21m in October last year for missing targets in 2024-25. The report also notes that in March, postal workers from across the UK said they were being asked to move or hide mail from senior bosses so it looks like delivery targets were being met.
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