Printers to fight against Mail hike

Direct mail printers have called for all mailing houses to support it in its fight against Royal Mail's proposed price hikes, which is expected to hit mailing volumes.

Royal Mail is preparing to add up to 19% to prices for bulk mail users, while downstream access (DSA) providers will have to pay an additional 15%.

Postcomm has opened a consultation on the issue, which will close on January 7, 2011, saying that it would accept Royal Mail's request unless presented with any evidence of the potential harm the price rises will cause.

DMA head of postal affairs Alex Walsh said that printers have to find out the effects of the proposed hike on mailing strategies from their clients in order to tackle it.

Walsh said: "The most optimistic view is that we will see a reduction in volume, because nobody's budget is going to get any bigger, but the worst case is that this will accelerate clients' switch to other media."

Printers earlier warned that the plans will drive their clients to use other mediums, while the DMA has said that the Universal Service, which is subsidised by bulk mail, would be threatened by the move.

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