The delivery business is scrapping Saturday deliveries of second-class post.

The change is part of a wider overhaul and a £500 million investment plan aimed at meeting delivery targets.

Under the new letter delivery model, second-class letters will be delivered every other weekday.

Royal Mail set to scrap second-class post delivery on Saturdays

Alistair Cochrane, chief executive of Royal Mail, said: “We recognise our service hasn’t always been the standard our customers rightly expect and we’re determined to do better.

“The plan we’ve set out today shows how we’ll make a step change in performance across the UK, backed by £500 million of investment over the next five years.”

The changes follow an agreement with the Communication Workers Union (CWU) and Unite, ending a long-standing dispute over the plans.

Ofcom last year gave the green light to Royal Mail’s plans to scale back second-class letter deliveries, starting from July 28, while keeping the first-class and parcels service unchanged.

Royal Mail launched the changes across 35 delivery offices as a pilot, but wider expansion across its 1,200-strong network ground to a halt over the disagreement with the CWU.

Royal Mail says the revised model and investment will help it meet new delivery targets set by regulator Ofcom.

Royal Mail is making changes to its services to meet delivery demands (Image: Getty Images)

The company aims to deliver around 85% of first-class post the next day within nine months of the changes taking effect, reaching Ofcom’s 90% target within a year.

For second-class mail, Royal Mail plans to deliver 93% within three days within nine months, meeting the 95% target by May next year.

The reforms are partially a response to Royal Mail’s failure to meet targets in 2024-25, when it delivered only 77% of first-class and 92.5% of second-class mail on time.

This shortfall led to a record £21 million fine from Ofcom in October last year.

Ofcom has since adjusted its targets, lowering the first-class next-day requirement from 93 per cent to 90 per cent and the second-class three-day requirement from 98.5% to 95%.

The regulator also introduced a new enforceable requirement that 99% of mail must not be more than two days late.

Natalie Black, Ofcom’s group director for infrastructure and connectivity, said: “Now that’s published, Royal Mail needs to get on and implement it.

“Their plan must deliver significant and continuous improvement, with performance getting back on track.”

How to check if your Royal Mail parcel is delayed

To check if your Royal Mail parcel is delayed, use the Royal Mail Tracking tool or app with your reference number.

You can also check the Service Update page for local disruptions, and you should allow 10 working days past the due date before classifying it as lost.

When your parcel or letter will arrive depends on the service used to send it, the Royal Mail website explains.

First-class and Tracked 24 parcels are aimed to be delivered by the next working day, with Tracked 48, Tracked Returns and second-class within two to three working days.

Customers are advised to add an extra working day if there’s a redirection in place.

If first-class or second-class parcels are not delivered 10 working days after the due date, the sender might be able to claim compensation.

If you’re the recipient, please contact the sender, who will contact Royal Mail to enquire on your behalf.

For tracked items, this is the case if the item hasn’t been delivered seven working days after the due date.

The website adds: “There are occasions when we deliver an item separately from your usual delivery.

“For example, a large item or a Special Delivery Guaranteed item, meaning your item may still arrive today.

“If you have a reference number, you can check the status of your delivery using Track your item.

“If your item is ready for delivery, it should arrive with you the next time we deliver to your address.”

Have you been affected by Royal Mail delivery delays? Let us know in the comments.

Millennials are driving demand for retailers to create ‘third space’ shopping environments, according to research from the Retail Technology Show.

A survey of more than 1,000 UK shoppers found that 57% of Millennials want stores to combine community, socialising and shopping.

The findings suggest expectations for physical retail are shifting, with stores under pressure to offer more than transactions. They also showed that 24% of Millennials want immersive brand experiences as part of the in-store journey, 10 percentage points higher than the figure across all age groups.

Retailers have already been testing formats that place greater emphasis on time spent in-store and on interaction with the brand. Last year, Superdrug announced plans to open 30 new beauty playgrounds designed as experiential discovery centres, while cycling brand Rapha has built its store model around Clubhouses that combine retail space with cafés and event hubs for its cycling club members.

The research links the trend to wider social and workplace changes, with demand for spaces between home and work rising amid digital fatigue, fragmented community life and the growth of remote working.

A third of consumers surveyed said they now discover retailers through brand-community platforms and value-aligned interactions. This points to a broader shift in how shoppers first encounter brands and how stores fit into that relationship.

For retailers, the findings add to evidence that younger consumers place greater value on experience and participation in physical spaces. The research found that 78% of Millennials prioritise spending on experiences over buying physical items.

Changing Store Role

This backdrop is pushing store design and operations away from a purely sales-led model. Physical outlets are increasingly being used as places where brands can host communities, encourage repeat visits and give shoppers reasons to stay longer.

While experience-led retail is not new, the stronger focus on community marks a more specific direction. Rather than relying solely on product displays or transactions, brands are trying to create spaces that support social interaction and a sense of belonging.

That can take many forms, from beauty testing areas and cycling cafés to venues for classes, gatherings and member-based activities. The common thread is that the store becomes part of a wider brand relationship rather than a standalone point of sale.

Matt Bradley, Founder & Event Director of the Retail Technology Show, said the findings reflect this shift in consumer expectations: “Experience-led retail isn’t a new concept, but the shift towards brand spaces for connection – not just commerce – charts a new course for how retailers can show up meaningfully within their communities.”

“Consumers want to feel their relationships with retailers go beyond buying, so finding new formats that foster that deep sense of connection will redefine how stores of the future evolve.”

As reported, liquidators have been appointed to wind down Witney-based Sherwood Kitchens Limited having been founded 24 years ago.

The business, in the town’s High Street, was set up by Steve and Bobby Pidsley in 2002 and specialises in kitchen design, supply, and installation.

Steve’s son Robert Pidsley has set up a new company Kiss Kitchens and Doors Ltd, reportedly operating from the same place as Sherwood Kitchens.

One disgruntled former customer of Sherwood Kitchens claimed Steve told them that ‘Kiss’ stands for ‘Keep it Simple Stupid’.

Kitchen (Image: Stefano Ferrario from Pixabay)

She said she found the new name “very disrespectful to customers” and added: “[Steve] told me moving forward he would only take cash or bank transfers and sent me his bank details.

“He said that if I wanted my £1,400 it would be £1 a week or month via the liquidation company. He hasn’t paid shop staff nor paid redundancy to them.”

Another source alleged: “Sherwood Kitchens made two members of staff redundant with immediate affect on January 31, 2026 owing them both the wages for the hours they worked in January, redundancy pay and redundancy notice pay.

“They have also not had any pension contributions since October 2025 despite contributions being taken out of their wages.”

READ MORE: ‘Shocking and frightening’: Man ‘stabbed’ several times with knives

Former Sherwood Kitchens director Steve said: “Due to the current economic climate, Sherwood Kitchens Ltd has had to go into liquidation so two staff and four family members are seeking redundancy.

“We are a local business and local people and want to do the right thing by our customers and staff.

“With that in mind, Sherwood Kitchens Ltd is in liquidation.”

UK company administrations surged 52 per cent between February and March to 235, and were 82 per cent higher when compared with March 2025, while compulsory liquidations jumped 18 per cent.

Experts have previously warned the underlying picture is worrying for businesses as cost pressures bite.

Steve said that Kiss Kitchens and Doors Ltd is a new business in his son 36-year-old son Robert’s name and has “nothing to do with” Sherwood Kitchens.

Robert remains a director at Sherwood Kitchens, Companies House records show.

“But he will be honouring all Sherwood Kitchens guaranteed work,” the 61-year-old added.

“We also managed to complete all jobs outstanding without them paying any extra money with the exception of one who we offered to complete, but she decided to claim back her deposit.

“We even managed to pay a proportion of outstanding wages in cash out of our own pockets.

“Going forward after this terrible start of the year we are confident my son will be able to make Kiss Kitchen’s and doors into a successful local brand.”