Stoke-on-Trent charity shop’s fear over stamp price rise

By Andy Trigg: A Stoke-on-Trent charity shop has hit out at the rise in the price of sending letters and parcels.

First class stamps now cost 60p, a rise from 46p, while a second class stamp costs 5op, up from 36p.

The price to send a parcel has also increased.

“The impact on the charity will be extreme,” said Jackie Newton, manager of the British Red Cross shop in Stoke.

“We still have to have a paper trail with documents and HR procedures the impact on the charity will be extreme.

“They [Royal Mail] should look at the way they run their company. They shouldn’t be increasing the prices to that level.”

Royal Mail says the increases are necessary to continue a six-day universal postal service.

But like many firms, Premier Placement Solution (PPS) recruitment service in Stoke-on-Trent is now sending more emails due to the hike in postal costs.

Ken Charles says it will save the company an extra £4,000 a year.

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The announcement of the price rise led to consumer bulk buying with many post offices selling out of stamps completely.

Royal Mail rationed retailers’ purchase of stamps to prevent them gaining extra profit by selling them after the rise became effective.

The large rise in postage marks the biggest annual rise in percentage terms since 1975.

Ten years ago, a first class stamp cost 27p, and a second class cost just 19p.

Tags: British Red Cross, royal mail, stamps

Category: News