Royal Mail Misses Targets Again, Cites Weather Woes

Royal Mail has announced that it missed its delivery targets for the past year, a situation that has now become a recurring issue. During the 12 months leading up to March 2026, only 75.7% of first-class mail was delivered the next working day, falling short of Ofcom's 90% target. Similarly, 90.2% of second-class mail arrived within three working days, below the required 95%.

The company attributed some of the performance issues to challenging conditions, including severe storms and higher staff sickness rates due to flu over the winter. This follows a previous £21 million fine from Ofcom in October 2025 for failing to meet annual targets.

Despite the recent performance dip, Royal Mail highlighted signs of improvement in more recent weeks. The company has consistently delivered over 80% of first-class mail on time during April and May 2026. To address these challenges, Royal Mail has committed to investing £500 million over the next five years.

This investment is part of a plan to meet new delivery targets. A new nationwide letter delivery model, which includes consultations with unions, will see the cessation of Saturday second-class post and deliveries every other weekday only. Royal Mail anticipates these reforms and investments will boost first-class next-day delivery to approximately 85% within nine months and reach the 90% Ofcom target within a year. They also aim to deliver 93% of second-class letters in three days within nine months, reaching the 95% target by May 2027.