The GCA works on behalf of the industry to protect and promote greeting card sending.
To that end the GCA meets regularly with Royal Mail and is also in contact with the regulator Ofcom, Government and other stakeholders, representing the greeting card industry and ensuring our voice is heard.
Issues surrounding Royal Mail’s performance in line with their Universal Service Obligation (USO) have taken on immense significance in recent months [see ‘GCA lobbying updates’ below] and the GCA continues to raise concerns not only with Government Ministers but through the media.
Here is a summary of the current issues which the GCA is concerned could adversely affect both greeting card consumers and GCA members using Royal Mail to send online orders:
- Postal workers told to prioritise parcels over Letters delivery
- Unresolved, ongoing postal workers strikes which had a significant detrimental effect to Christmas 2022
- Increase in postage costs – with a 1st Class stamp costing £1.10 and 2nd class 75p, from 3rd April 2023
- Discussion of putting loss-making postal service into administration (27th March 2023)
- Royal Mail proposals to move to a 5-day-a-week ‘Letters’ delivery, dropping Saturdays (NB ‘Letters’ includes cards and all social mail)
Why should we be concerned?
The UK sends more cards per capita than any other nation and spent over £1.5 billion* on single greeting cards alone in 2021. Historically our industry has benefited from a world-leading postal service, however we are now seeing more cards hand-delivered than ever before, with Royal Mail deliveries unreliable, ongoing strikes and high postal costs issues for both consumers and greeting card companies supplying online orders.
Royal Mail is the universal service provider, so is subject to more regulation than other postal operators and has obligations under the Universal Service Obligation (USO). Changes to the USO require an act of parliament. The regulator Ofcom provides annual monitoring updates and is responsible for monitoring Royal Mail’s performance in line with USO.
Members, please do contact us to share your thoughts, if you have additional concerns or would like to discuss anything further. Please contact Amanda at amanda@gca.cards
Have your voice heard
It strengthens our case as an industry if we have the insight into just how damaging these Royal Mail issues are. To that end we have produced a survey which we are asking all members to complete, to find out what that disruption looks like for our members and the communities they support. Once we have collated this information we will be using it in our further lobbying with Government and the Royal Mail.
Click here to complete questionnaire by 19th May 2023
Further Information
Updates on GCA lobbying March 2023 action to protect and promote our industry
Royal Mail and Ofcom Updates 2022- Feb 23 – GCA lobbying activity and correspondence.
Details on Royal Mail move to QR-coded stamps in July 2023.
*NB this figure excludes packs and boxes of cards. Source GCA Market Report 2022.
