The postal service predicts letters will become ‘peripheral’ as mass communication further shifts to digital – to the regret of some
The chief executive of Australia Post, Paul Graham, said there are concerns over the viability of the letters business and that all options were on the table, including reviewing the frequency of deliveries.
Rewind three decades, and the letter delivery business was booming. In the 1990s, letter volumes grew in tandem with Australia’s economic progress, increasing by 5% a year, according to an analysis of Australia Post financial reports. The letter delivery unit has become a significant weight on the business, and is set to drag the postal service into financial loss by the end of June, despite its recent increase in the basic stamp price to $1.20.
France’s La Post has moved to a three-days-a-week letter delivery service, with a creative next-day option whereby customers send an email to the postal service, which is printed and delivered.UK’s Royal Mail has asked the government to switch letter delivery from a six-days-a-week service to five – in line with Australia – but the request has faced resistance from some government ministers.