The full package: What consumers need from a changing postal service

The full package: What consumers need from a changing postal service 626 KB

The postal sector has undergone a period of rapid change. The growth of online shopping means that parcel services have become vital, while letter volumes have declined, and it's becoming increasingly difficult for post offices to operate. The impact of these changes on the shape of the postal sector is now under review, with consultations having taken place or planned on both revisions to the postal Universal Service Obligation (USO) and the future of the post office network. 

But despite declines in letter volumes and pressures on post offices, our postal services remain a vital pillar of communication and retail. They’re an important backstop, protecting access to support and services for people in more vulnerable circumstances, including those who are digitally excluded. 

As part of a new piece of qualitative research, we spoke to 50 consumers across 5, 6-hour long workshops in England and Wales about their use of postal services - across letters, post offices and parcels, their priorities, and the trade-offs they're willing to make as we consider the future shape of the postal sector. 

Overall, our findings show that participants recognised the need for change in response to challenges facing the sector. But they also want these changes to prioritise services that become more reliable and accessible, even if we see trade-offs in areas such as speed. This includes the need for modifications to ensure people in vulnerable circumstances or from marginalised groups aren’t left behind. At the same time, participants were open to the potential of new technology to boost service quality and maintain or improve access to services, particularly in an era of budget pressures.