Royal Mail misses delivery targets again but hails signs

Royal Mail has fallen short of regulatory delivery benchmarks once again, despite reporting year-on-year improvements across its first and second class services. Data covering the period from March to June showed that the postal operator successfully delivered 85% of first class mail on the next day, marking an increase from 76% during the exact same months in 2025, yet remaining shy of regulator Ofcom's strict 90% threshold.

Regarding second class mail, 91% of items arrived within a three-day window, demonstrating another positive step forward from the previous year. However, this metric still failed to reach Ofcom's 95% expectation. The service, owned by International Distribution Services (IDS), noted that these metrics reflect encouraging progress as ongoing internal reforms begin to take effect across the network.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

Chief operating officer Jamie Stephenson emphasized that performance levels are currently tracking ahead of internal projections for the improvement plan's current phase. The postal provider has weathered years of widespread criticism from both the public and politicians regarding sluggish letter delivery, alongside intensifying market competition and declining physical mail volumes.