Why are Royal Mail delays happening now?

Royal Mail cites recent storms and higher sickness rates, which reduced staffing and slowed rounds. Staff also report parcels being prioritised over letters, creating letter backlogs. When weather and absence collide, sorting offices face bottlenecks that take time and extra resources to clear. Improved staffing and routing should gradually reduce delays.

Which postcodes are most affected by delays?

Royal Mail has listed more than 100 postcodes affected across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The mix can change daily as local offices recover. Check Royal Mail’s service updates and recent UK news reports for the latest areas. Improvement across multiple regions would signal backlogs are easing.

What does Ofcom Royal Mail scrutiny mean for investors?

If delays persist, Ofcom could assess service performance and require improvement plans. Outcomes may add reporting duties, operational changes, or penalties. That would raise near‑term costs and keep sentiment cautious. Clear, sustained gains in on‑time letter delivery would likely reduce regulatory risk and support a better outlook for IDS stock.

How might this affect IDS stock over the next few weeks?

Headlines on service issues often pressure valuations until investors see progress. Watch weekly delivery metrics, any Ofcom updates, and union commentary. Faster clearance in the postcodes affected could stabilise sentiment. A formal investigation or worsening delays would likely extend volatility and keep a risk discount on the shares.

Global Market Insights

IDS.L Stock Today: February 17 – Delivery Delays Revive Ofcom, Union Risk

ByDanny Kontos February 17, 2026

Royal Mail delays are back in focus for UK investors after staff say letters sit for weeks while parcels take priority. International Distributions Services (IDS.L) cites recent storms and sickness for backlogs and lists more than 100 postcodes affected. With Ofcom Royal Mail oversight likely to intensify and unions alert to workload pressure, we see higher regulatory and labour risk. We break down what this could mean for sentiment, near‑term costs, and how to approach IDS stock in the coming weeks.