Birmingham-based direct mail fulfilment and print management services provider Baker Goodchild, has revealed that both printers and marketing service agencies could all be seriously affected by the Royal Mail price increase for its first and second-class stamps, which comes into effect from the end of March. 

Earlier this year Royal Mail stated that from 31 March it intends to increase the price of a first-class stamp by 1p to 63p, whilst a second-class stamp will also go up by the same amount to 54p. In addition, a large letter first-class stamp will also rise by 2p to 95p and a large second class stamp will also increase by 1p to 74p.

Speaking about how printers and marketing service providers will be affected by the price increase announcement, Baker Goodchild’s Mail Specialist, Account Director Adam Stafford, stated, “In some cases, be it on a print job or piece of marketing collateral, the postal element can be the largest single cost. So a postal price increase on any overall campaign can be very significant, and this can seriously impact on the potential profit margins for any job.”

Adam continued, “This comes at a time when printers need to maintain profit margins and still deliver a quality piece of print, and can be significant. Obviously companies are always looking at ways to alleviate any extra cost, which is where we (Baker Goodchild) come in.”

Baker Goodchild has access to various different discount service offerings which can offset some of the increase, so clients will pay as little of the intended increase as possible.

By utilising the services that companies such as Baker Goodchild has to offer, such as a discounted service, reliability and service, as well as speed of delivery can all be improved, which again can be beneficial to companies, whilst helping to alleviate the price increase impact.

The clear reasons why printers and marketeers should be looking to lessen the impact of any price increase are; to maintain competitiveness, and more importantly to help maintain profit margins.

Adam concluded, “In some cases, companies such as Baker Goodchild can save clients as much as up to 60% on postage alone, and we all still make a margin. So printers need to be savvy, shop around and in turn be more competitive. We are here to help.”

Baker Goodchild currently provides print, fulfilment and postage services for a variety of national and international clients, mailing both across the UK and overseas.

Being an independent specialist provider of bulk mail fulfilment and postal services, Baker Goodchild has invested in specialist bespoke mailing solutions and software, which enable them to identify the most cost effective way of sending mail, enabling them to provide attractive discounted rates and cost-effective savings at a time when cost, and secure delivery, are paramount.

Based in the heart of Birmingham, close to the city centre, Baker Goodchild is a privately-owned company with over 20 years extensive experience in providing print, mail and postage solutions, throughout the UK and Internationally.