Royal Mail reports modest gains but still falls short of delivery targets

Royal Mail disclosed that between March and June it delivered 85% of first-class mail the following day, up from 76% a year earlier, while 91% of second-class items arrived within three days, a slight rise over the prior year. Both figures remain under Ofcom’s targets of 90% and 95% respectively. The company, owned by International Distribution Services, attributed the gains to its ongoing turnaround plan and a £500 million investment program slated for the next five years.

COO Jamie Stephenson described the performance as “encouraging” but emphasized that additional steps are required to hit the regulator’s benchmarks by May 2027. Royal Mail continues to face criticism over slow deliveries and is under a second consecutive Ofcom investigation, following a record £21 million fine for missing targets in 2024-25. Recent complaints from residents in Gloucester and Worcestershire have highlighted persistent delays affecting essential mail.