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Postal & Courier Activities in the UK Industry Data and Analysis
Over the five years through 2026-27, the Postal and Courier Activities industry's revenue is expected to contract at a compound annual rate of 1.8% to £30.4 billion. Revenue is projected to edge up by 0.7% in 2026-27, reflecting tentative stabilisation after years of pressure. The long-term sink in letter volumes, driven by the widespread adoption of digital communication, has hollowed out a revenue stream that once underpinned the industry. Repeated stamp price increases have reinforced the decline, pushing consumers and businesses towards electronic alternatives to physical mail. The growth of parcel delivery, fuelled by the e-commerce boom, has partially offset these losses, though it hasn’t been enough to prevent an overall decline in revenue over the past five years. Despite these challenges, profit remains resilient, at 12.5% of revenue, supported by automation-driven cost reductions and repeated stamp price increases that have bolstered letter revenue.
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What's included in this industry analysis
IBISWorld's research coverage on the Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2016-2031. The most recent publication was released May 2026.
About this industry
What's this industry report about?
The Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom operates under the SIC industry code H53.000. Licensed and non-licensed postal operators and courier companies in this industry pick up, sort, transport and deliver letters, parcels, bulk materials, documents and medical supplies. Companies also distribute advertising material, newspapers and periodicals. Postal activities under the Universal Service Obligation are included. Related terms covered in the Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom include downstream access, universal service obligation and lifestyle courier.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom include Domestic parcel delivery, Letter delivery and Marketing mail delivery.
What companies are included in this industry?
Companies covered in the Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom include Royal Mail Group Limited, Evri Ltd and DPDgroup UK Ltd.
Performance
What's included in the Performance chapter?
The Performance chapter covers detailed analysis, datasets, detailed current performance, sources of volatility and an outlook with forecasts for the Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom.
Questions answered in this chapter include what's driving current industry performance, what influences industry volatility, how do successful businesses overcome volatility, what's driving the industry outlook. This analysis is supported with data and statistics on industry revenues, costs, profits, businesses and employees.
Products & Markets
What's included in the Products and Markets chapter?
The Products and Markets chapter covers detailed products and service segmentation and analysis of major markets for the for the Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom.
Questions answered in this chapter include how are the industry's products and services performing, what are innovations in industry products and services, what products or services do successful businesses offer and what's influencing demand from the industry's markets. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by product and service segmentation and major markets.
Geographic Breakdown
What's included in the Geographic Breakdown chapter?
The Geographic Breakdown chapter covers detailed analysis and datasets on regional performance of the Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom.
Questions answered in this chapter include where are industry businesses located and how do businesses use location to their advantage. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by location.
Competitive Forces
What's included in the Competitive Forces chapter?
The Competitive Forces chapter covers the concentration, barriers to entry and supplier and buyer profiles in the Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom. This includes data and statistics on industry market share concentration, barriers to entry, substitute products and buyer & supplier power.
Questions answered in this chapter include what impacts the industry's market share concentration, how do successful businesses handle concentration, what challenges do potential industry entrants face, how can potential entrants overcome barriers to entry, what are substitutes for industry services, how do successful businesses compete with substitutes and what power do buyers and suppliers have over the industry and how do successful businesses manage buyer & supplier power.
Companies
What's included in the Companies chapter?
The Companies chapter covers Key Takeaways, Market Share and Companies in the Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom. This includes data and analysis on companies operating in the industry that hold a market share greater than 5%.
Questions answered in this chapter include what companies have a meaningful market share and how each company is performing.
External Environment
What's included in the External Environment chapter?
The External Environment chapter covers Key Takeaways, External Drivers, Regulation & Policy and Assistance in the Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom. This includes data and statistics on factors impacting industry revenue such as economic indicators, regulation, policy and assistance programs.
Questions answered in this chapter include what demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the industry, what regulations impact the industry, what assistance is available to this industry.
Financial Benchmarks
What's included in the Financial Benchmarks chapter?
The Financial Benchmarks chapter covers Key Takeaways, Cost Structure, Financial Ratios, Valuation Multiples and Key Ratios in the Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom. This includes financial data and statistics on industry performance including key cost inputs, profitability, key financial ratios and enterprise value multiples.
Questions answered in this chapter include what trends impact industry costs and how financial ratios have changed overtime.
Industry Data
What's included in the Industry Data chapter?
The Industry Data chapter includes 10 years of historical data with 5 years of forecast data covering statistics like revenue, industry value add, establishments, enterprises, employment and wages in the Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the market size of the Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom in 2026?
The market size of the Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom is £30.4bn in 2026.
How many businesses are there in the Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom in 2026?
There are 33,883 businesses in the Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom, which has declined at a CAGR of 3.1 % between 2021 and 2026.
How may import tariffs affect the Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom?
The Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom?
The Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
Has the Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom has been declining at a CAGR of 1.8 % between 2021 and 2026.
What is the forecast growth of the Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom?
The biggest companies operating in the Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom are Royal Mail Group Limited, Evri Ltd and DPDgroup UK Ltd
What does the Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom include?
Domestic parcel delivery and Letter delivery are part of the Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom?
The company holding the most market share in the Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom is Royal Mail Group Limited.
How competitive is the Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom?
The level of competition is high and increasing in the Postal & Courier Activities industry in the United Kingdom.
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