Royal Mail has announced delivery delays impacting 12 postcode areas across Oxfordshire this upcoming weekend. While the postal service typically operates six days a week for letters and includes Sunday parcel deliveries, disruptions are expected on Saturday, June 6, and Sunday, June 7.
According to Royal Mail, these delays are due to local challenges such as high absenteeism and resource shortages in certain delivery offices. To mitigate the impact, the company will rotate deliveries to reduce wait times for customers and provide targeted support to affected offices to restore normal service promptly.
Royal Mail expressed regret for the inconvenience caused, stating: “We aim to deliver to all addresses we have mail for, six days a week. In a small number of local offices, this may temporarily not be possible due to local issues. We appreciate your understanding.”
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The postal service has recently faced criticism over delivery performance and was fined £21 million by Ofcom in October for failing to meet its delivery targets. In 2024-2025, only 77% of First Class and 92.5% of Second Class mail were delivered on time.
To address these issues, Royal Mail has set new goals to enhance service quality. It plans to increase First Class Next Day delivery reliability to approximately 85% within nine months, aiming for the 90% target mandated by Ofcom within a year. Additionally, the company pledges to deliver 93% of Second Class letters within three days over nine months, working towards a 95% target by May next year.
Despite a challenging start to the year, Royal Mail reports improvements in performance. By March, 81.1% of First Class mail was delivered within one working day, and 90.2% of Second Class mail reached recipients within three working days.
Jamie Stephenson, Royal Mail’s Chief Operating Officer, commented: “We’re investing heavily to improve reliability and meet our new delivery targets. Although transforming a network of this scale takes time, early indications show we are on track. Universal Service reform is critical to adapting our network to current mailing habits while maintaining affordable service nationwide. We plan to roll out a new delivery model across all offices by the Christmas period, with clear quarterly targets guiding our progress.”