Royal Mail missed its targets by delivering nearly a quarter of first class mail late in the first update since its parent company was bought by a Czech billionaire, figures show.
The company said on Friday it had delivered 75.9% of first class mail within one working day of collection in the three months to 29 June, up from 74.2% the previous quarter but well behind the 93% target set by the regulator, Ofcom.
Its performance on second class was “broadly stable”, with 89.3% of mail delivered within three working days, lagging Ofcom’s target of 98.5%.
EP, the group controlled by Daniel Křetínský, completed a drawn-out £3.6bn takeover of International Distribution Services (IDS) in April after a UK government review under national security laws. Křetínský, known as the Czech Sphinx, owns a collection of businesses including energy assets, and stakes in Sainsbury’s and West Ham United.
In its quarterly update, Royal Mail also said it had managed to deliver 97% of first class mail within three days.
The company has long struggled to deliver mail on time. It has been fined more than £16m over the past two years for failing to meet targets, and Ofcom began an investigation this year after it missed annual targets.
Jamie Stephenson, interim chief operating officer at Royal Mail, said: “Timely letter deliveries really matter to our customers, and they matter to us too.
“We are taking targeted steps to improve reliability, and we remain focused on delivering a better service for all our customers, every day.”
Last month, Royal Mail was given the green light by Ofcom to drop Saturday deliveries of second-class letters, and to provide services on alternate weekdays from Monday to Friday rather than every day as it attempts to cut costs and make the service more reliable.
Ofcom also lowered targets for first class post to be delivered the next day from 93% to 90%, and for second class within three days from 98.5% to 95%. The changes take effect from next April.
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Tom MacInnes, director of policy at Citizens Advice, said: “It’s no surprise that paying consumers are still being let down by our country’s postal service. For more than half a decade, late deliveries have disrupted lives – causing people to miss medical appointments and benefit decisions – while stamp prices soared.
“Yet, Ofcom has responded by lowering Royal Mail’s delivery targets and slashing its second class delivery requirements in half. These changes don’t guarantee a more reliable or affordable service, but risk making things worse for consumers.”
He added: “Ofcom must ensure reduced deliveries are balanced with targets Royal Mail genuinely has to hit so people finally get the service they deserve.”
Emma Gilthorpe suddenly left after just over a year as Royal Mail’s chief executive in June, weeks after EP completed its IDS takeover.