USO Reform – What’s Changing?
Royal Mail is moving to a five-day alternating delivery model for non-priority mail:
- Week 1: Monday, Wednesday, Friday
- Week 2: Tuesday, Thursday
First Class mail remains unchanged – being delivered Monday to Saturday.
For time-sensitive deliveries, a new Priority service will offer a two-day delivery window, ideal for campaigns that demand punctuality.
Why this USO reform matters?
The UK’s mailing infrastructure has been long overdue for modernisation. Letter volumes have halved since 2011, while demand for parcel services continues to grow. Royal Mail has been managing a system built for 20 billion letters and now handles just 6.6 billion. (source OfCom)
Ofcom’s approved reforms aim to make the service fit for today’s needs: sustainable, predictable, and more reliable. Service levels have fluctuated post-pandemic, but this update is designed to set clearer performance targets, rebuild trust in Royal Mail, and create a more agile framework for marketers.
What This Means for Your Campaigns
Direct mail still delivers unmatched reach and engagement and now, with predictable delivery windows, it becomes even more powerful.
Planning a royal mail leaflet drop or direct mail campaign?
You now have the opportunity to:
- Build tighter, more strategic schedules
- Time digital follow-ups (email, SMS, ads) with greater accuracy
- Choose between Economy or Priority based on your goals
For budget-conscious campaigns, Economy mail remains a smart choice, now with better-defined delivery timing. For urgent or time-sensitive drops, Priority Mail gives you the speed and service level you need.
Tools to Help You Deliver Smarter
We’ve already implemented the changes that support the new USO model. Our approach puts you in full control of your campaign timeline and outcomes.
At Eight Group we also provide:
- Postage solutions: Support choosing the right Royal Mail service for your campaign delivery date and budget.
- Data cleaning services: Helping to improve accuracy, reduce waste, and boost your ROI.
A Better Fit for Multi-Channel Campaigns
In many ways, this reform helps marketers do what they’ve always wanted: integrate offline and online communications more effectively.
Whether you’re launching a new royal mail flyer drop, sending a product catalogue, or timing promotions around key dates this new structure gives you the reliability to align messaging across:
- Email sequences
- Social media
- SMS outreach
- Sales follow-ups
With a clearer delivery cycle, your multi channel marketing strategy becomes sharper, faster, and more accountable.
Summary: Less Guesswork & More Impact.
The USO reform isn’t about losing delivery days… it’s about gaining a smarter, more structured way to deliver mail in a modern marketing world.
You now have:
- A clear, consistent delivery pattern
- Greater insight into campaign timing
- More flexibility through Economy and Priority options
Direct mail isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it just got easier to integrate and justify as part of your performance marketing mix.
If you’d like to review your campaign plans in light of the new delivery model, or get advice on timing, tracking or postage… Our team is here to help.
Get in touch today
