Sajeeda Merali, CEO of the PPA said: “We are disappointed by Ofcom’s recommendation to scrap Saturday deliveries for second-class post. Reducing delivery days not only hurts specialist publishers, who are already absorbing rising costs, it undermines consumer experience. Subscribers pay for a regular service, and delays reduce the value of their subscription, particularly for consumers for whom a digital alternative would be unsuitable. Offering a faster delivery option at a higher cost puts the onus and cost on publishers – smaller publishers will struggle to stay afloat or be forced to pass costs onto readers. We hope that Ofcom will reconsider the impact these reforms will have in their review of postal pricing and affordability later this year.
“We welcome Ofcom’s decision to retain regulation of existing bulk mail services and to introduce new safeguards, including protections against anti-competitive pricing. These measures are essential to ensuring publishers can continue delivering subscription magazines without the risk of anti-competitive prices along the line, particularly in a market where Royal Mail remains the sole final-mile provider within the market.”
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