‘I’ll save £150 by not sending Christmas cards this year’
Every year Tony Barrett and his wife, Christina, sit down at the table and write their Christmas cards to friends, family, and acquaintances.
It is a “pleasure” for Mr Barrett, 80, a ritual he looks forward to each December.
But this year the couple are among many who will not be sending festive wishes by mail because of the rise in postage stamps and the cost of living.
A book of eight first-class stamps hit £10 for the first time in October, up from £8.80, while a second-class stamp for a large letter rose to £1.55.
One third of people will post fewer Christmas cards this year, according to data from retailer John Lewis, with most citing the increasing cost of postage.
Even the most devoted epistolarians are contemplating putting down their pens this Christmas, turning instead to email or phone calls to greet loved ones.
Mr Barrett said the rise in the price of stamps would be “the end” of sending Christmas cards for him.
After taking into account his budget and outgoings, Mr Barrett decided to reduce his festive correspondence by 80pc.
The couple will post Christmas cards to family and hand-deliver them to friends living in nearby West Midlands villages. Everyone else will receive an email greeting.
The money saved will be donated to the Royal British Legion, a charity of which Mr Barrett is a long-standing supporter.
“It is very disappointing. Royal Mail appears to be on a course of self-destruction. They are having a very bad year.
“Being on a pension, one doesn’t have an unlimited budget, and must make choices about spending. Unfortunately it just is not sensible to send the cards any more, with the price being so high.”
Mike Fleet, 85, will also make a charitable donation this December instead of sending cards for a “horrendous” price.
As a former athlete who has represented Britain in the European championships, Mr Fleet, from Surrey, said he was “very lucky” to have friends and contacts around the world, as a result of his sporting career.
“Human contact is one of the most valuable things in life, keeping in touch is one of the most important parts of life, especially at my age.
“I always enjoy Christmas cards, but with the number mounting, I started to think this was very silly. The postage is horrendous.”
Sending a humorous email instead of cards will save more than £150, Mr Fleet estimated.
He hopes to put the sum towards the medical charity Cardiac Risk in the Young, while his wife Nicola will support their town’s food bank with the walking group she organises.
The high prices of stamps represent yet another low point for Royal Mail. Only 73.7pc of first-class mail was delivered within a day this year, falling to less than half in “postal deserts” across the country.
Industrial action and a decline in profits have hit the company, which saw a £1bn loss last year when 115,000 members of the Communication Workers Union went on strike.
But the delivery service, which says it reviews the price of stamps every year, has also suffered from the waning popularity of letter writing – with a 46pc decrease in letters sent and received over the past decade.
This decline is backed up by OC&C, a consultancy firm, whose figures suggest between 2015 and 2019, there was a 0.3pc fall in the number of single greeting cards sold across the country, from 935m to 910m.
Paperchase, the stationery firm, went into administration in January, closing its high street shops in April. Clinton Cards also shut around a fifth of its outlets this year.
Despite this bleak picture for the industry, people are still purchasing cards – with sales of single cards having risen by a third in the past year, according to John Lewis. Multipacks, however, are in decline, it said.
Sales of personalised, novelty, and premium cards have increased, according to M&S, with one animal range up by 150pc this year.
Customers are looking for an “emotional connection” and “nostalgia”, said Joanne Hearne, the company’s buyer in the cards, wrap and tableware department.
It appears quality over quantity may be the byword for this festive season.
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