Member Article

SMP welcomes move to get the UK ‘back to business’

The Strategic Mailing Partnership has applauded a decision by Royal Mail to launch two new ‘back to business’ incentives to help companies hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. Running until the end of the year, the two advertising mail deals can play a key role in helping businesses to get back on their feet following lockdown, said SMP Chair Judith Donovan CBE. Royal Mail launched its initial Covid-19 Open for Business incentive back in May to support sectors such as hospitality and charity that were hardest hit by coronavirus restrictions. Since then, hundreds of approved applications have supported the creation of millions of addition mail items. The new advertising mail incentives will each run across two periods, July to September then October to December. The discounts are relevant for all sectors, with the aim of enabling businesses to boost their trading activity as lockdown restrictions are eased. The first incentive, Back to Business, gives a preferential rate for customers looking to post a minimum of 50,000 additional mail items per quarter. The second, Back to Business Extra, is aimed at larger customers who want to send at least 2.5 million extra mail items at an even lower rate. Charities, retailers, restaurants and those in the ‘away from home’ entertainment sectors such as cinemas and theatres are all likely to benefit significantly from the scheme. Judith said that the incentive would not only help businesses looking to bounce back after lockdown, it would provide a boost for mailing houses. “Back to Business is exactly the right message at the moment as mailing houses – along with just about every other sector in the UK – are looking to regroup and push on as lockdown continues to ease. The ongoing success of Royal Mail’s Covid-19 initiatives demonstrates not only a willingness to do all that can be done to help customers but that what’s on offer is clearly what is needed right now. “We welcome this move as a means of generating work and income for our members and, in a wider sense, helping to kickstart the UK economy.” The incentives are available now and run until the end of December 2020.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Kate Wobschall .