Beat the festive rush

Our very own Santa Clausis today (4 December) encouraging customers all across the UK to help Royal Mail beat the Christmas rush by posting early for Christmas.

Santa Vic Amor has been helping the real Father Christmas for 47 years at Swindon mail centre helping to make sure parcels, letters and cards are delivered to more than 30 million addresses throughout the country.

Santa Vic knows first-hand what it is like to deal with the masses of Christmas parcels and cards we receive every Christmas. He also knows only too well that customers posting early helps both colleagues and the business manage the bumper mailbag during our busiest time of the year.

The health and safety representative dubbed ‘Swindon’s Santa’ is urging customers to always use the postcode on cards and parcels and to always include a return address. This helps to ensure mail isn’t delayed in the postal system.

‘I know the lengths everyone, everywhere in Royal Mail goes to during the festive season to help ensure parcels, gifts and cards are delivered on time at Christmas,’ said Vic. ‘Please help Royal Mail at its busiest time by posting your parcels, cards and gifts early and using the postcode and a return address.

‘Every year I look forward to delivering Christmas cheer and as the “Swindon Santa” I also get to bring extra festive cheer to many children locally.’

UK process operations director, Simon Barker, added: ‘Christmas is the busiest time of year for Royal Mail and our customers. As we do every year, we are encouraging people to post and order presents early to help us spread the workload in the run up to Christmas.

‘The postcode is critical at this time of year - it really does make a difference. We are asking everyone to help our hardworking postmen and women by using the postcode, writing clearly on their cards and parcels and including a return address just in case’.

UK latest recommended posting dates for Christmas 2018 are:

• Tuesday 18 December for Second Class Mail
• Thursday 20 December for First Class Mail
• Saturday 22 December for Special Delivery®

All posting dates are also available via Amazon’s Alexa

Customers sending Christmas cards and presents abroad are also being encouraged to post early. International cards and parcels latest recommended posting dates for Christmas delivery are:

For further information go to our special Christmas website at www.royalmail.com/greetings.