The long-rumoured changes have now been confirmed – Royal Mail has been allowed to scrap its traditional Saturday letter deliveries. This marks the end of a practice that has been in place for generations and forms part of Royal Mail’s ongoing efforts to modernise – cut costs – and address declining letter volumes.
But while this change might suit Royal Mail’s commercial objectives – it has the potential to disrupt businesses that still rely on direct mail to reach customers and prospects promptly.
At Selectabase – we’re already helping businesses adjust and ensure their mailings continue to land in front of the right people – at the right time – even with these new delivery restrictions.
What are the changes?
Under Ofcom’s revised Universal Service Obligation – Royal Mail no longer needs to deliver standard letters on Saturdays. Deliveries will now be Monday to Friday only. This brings the UK more in line with other European countries where weekend postal services have already been scaled back or removed entirely.
Packages and tracked items remain unaffected for now – but standard marketing letters – invoices – and other untracked mail will no longer be delivered on Saturdays.
Why does this matter to your direct mail campaigns?
For B2B marketers and many consumer-focused businesses – timing is everything. Weekend deliveries have long been a useful tool – catching people at home – ensuring marketing materials hit desks before a new working week – or providing a crucial 48-hour delivery window.
Without Saturday deliveries –
- Mail will naturally bunch up to arrive earlier or later in the week
- Response windows could shift – impacting time-sensitive offers
- Your campaigns may need to be restructured to reflect new postal timelines
If you’re relying on outdated mailing data – poor targeting – or inefficient schedules – these changes could blunt your results even further.
How Selectabase helps keep your mailings on track
At Selectabase – we help businesses maximise the impact of direct mail through targeted – timely – and accurate marketing data. Here’s how we can help mitigate the impact of Royal Mail’s changes –
1. Targeting the right recipients from the start
With access to fresh – compliant and regularly updated business and consumer data – you can ensure your mailings are reaching decision-makers and engaged prospects. Less waste – more action.
2. Strategic campaign planning
We understand the evolving postal landscape. Our team can advise on ideal mailing schedules to avoid your mail sitting idle over weekends or getting buried in Monday backlogs.
3. Efficient – prompt data delivery
Our services – like Prospect Download Business and Prospect Download Consumer – allow you to generate highly targeted mailing lists quickly – helping you stay agile and adapt to the new postal timings with minimal delay.
4. Bespoke mailing solutions
If you’re running larger or more complex campaigns – we offer services that can integrate directly with mailing houses – ensuring your mailings are produced – sent – and received in line with the most effective schedules.
See our most popular mailing styles, and request a quote here – www.selectabase.co.uk/services/create-and-post/
Best practice tips for direct mail in a post-Saturday delivery world
If you want to keep your campaigns effective despite these changes – here are some simple steps –
- Plan ahead – factor in the new delivery schedule during campaign planning stages
- Segment smartly – use quality – targeted data to reduce waste and focus on the recipients most likely to respond
- Monitor response patterns – with delivery days changing – track when responses come in and adjust future mail drops accordingly
- Consider hybrid approaches – combine targeted direct mail with follow-up calls or digital channels to keep momentum moving during longer delivery gaps
Stay ahead of the changes with Selectabase
Royal Mail’s changes are beyond your control – but how you adapt is entirely within your hands. At Selectabase – we specialise in helping businesses like yours stay ahead – remain visible – and generate consistent results through carefully targeted and timely direct mail strategies.
If you’re unsure how these changes might affect your next campaign – get in touch for a no-obligation chat. We can help you map out the smartest route forward – backed by accurate data and decades of experience.
[email protected] I 01304 383838 I www.selectabase.co.uk
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