New 'Delivered By Royal Mail' postmark to be used on letters

A new "Delivered By Royal Mail" postmark is to be stamped on letters and other items to distinguish post delivered by the group and its competitors.

The company announced it will introduce the new mark to most of the 15 billion letters and parcels carried by the business every year, saying it is important that customers know the difference between post delivered by Royal Mail and its competitors.

The move followed a survey of more than 1,000 people, which showed that almost four out of five would welcome clarity on which company delivered which item of mail to avoid confusion.

The change will start next month and will take six months to complete to enable old stocks of stationery which do not have the "Delivered by Royal Mail" mark printed on them to be used up, and the new design to be adopted.

Moya Greene, chief executive of Royal Mail, said: "Delivering to 29 million addresses six days a week is a major task. The new mark ensures that postmen and women get recognition for the vital task they complete every working day.

"We are proud of the distinctive service we offer and we want customers to be aware of the difference. It is important we avoid customer confusion in the UK's very competitive postal market, where many items are handled by providers other than Royal Mail."

PA