****** Press Release 29th May 2024
The UK’s Greeting Card Association (GCA) today issued the following statement following the formal announcement that the boards of EP Group and IDS, the owner of Royal Mail, had agreed a takeover deal.
GCA chief executive officer said:
“Our members are rightly concerned that the undertakings being proposed by EP Group in relation to its takeover of Royal Mail are inadequate and short-lived.
“A first-class six day service without long-term commitments on affordability risks leaving small businesses and consumers picking up the cost of this proposal.
“What’s more undertakings that expire after a single five-year parliamentary term will not inspire confidence from small businesses and consumers that the service is being protected for the long-term.
“Five year commitments to support an institution with over 500 years of history appears to fall short.
“The government and regulator must insist on lock-tight, long-term undertakings on affordability and reliability and the protection of our national service before approving this deal.
“What’s more, any future reform of our delivery service must be dependent on Royal Mail meeting the performance targets they’ve already signed up to.”
Last week the GCA revealed a simple six point pledge as regulators and the government considers the future of the Royal Mail.
The GCA, which represents a thriving creative industry that contributes £1.5bn to the UK economy, is campaigning to prevent the Royal Mail postal service being given a 21st century ‘Beeching Axe’, with second class deliveries chopped back to just three days a week and runaway prices for first class mail.
The GCA is asking Ofcom and parliamentary candidates to renew their commitment to the Royal Mail service that British people love through six simple pledges:
In its ‘#Cardmitment’, the GCA is insisting Royal Mail, its owners, regulators and government must:
- Fix it First, then reform – insist Royal Mail meets existing performance targets before any USO changes.
- Keep Saturdays affordable– Protect the Saturday delivery service at an affordable price and make that price legally binding.
- Fully Price Protect all deliveries – Protect consumers from above-inflation price rises on 2nd class stamps, extend that protection to the first class service, and make any future price rises conditional on agreed service targets being met.
- Keep Royal Mail national – Protect an affordable single price delivery service to all UK households.
- Stop delivery discrimination – Prevent the prioritisation of parcel deliveries over letters and cards.
- Support high streets – Recognise the role a thriving postal service – including post offices – have in protecting high streets and communities up and down the country.
This #Cardmitment has been circulated to government, MPs and other stakeholders with a responsibility for shaping the future of the Royal Mail.
It will also be sent to all parliamentary candidates standing in the forthcoming general election.
Ofcom’s data indicates greeting cards are critical to how Royal Mail is perceived by end consumers. Cards are the most frequent things UK consumers post and 42 per cent of customers now say sending cards is the only time they use Royal Mail.
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Further information: gca@arena-pr.com
