The majority of businesses rely on An Post alone for their postal requirements with only 12 per cent sending part of their business to other service providers, a new study has found.
According to ComReg's Business and Residential postal survey for 2005, the average businesses spend on postal services with An Post was €6,000 per annum.
Contributing to the poor market share by other postal service providers is a poor awareness of the competitors.
The heaviest users of An Post were financial services providers.
Just under one in five businesses complained about the An Post service, with more than half of these, 56 per cent, dissatisfied with how the complaint was dealt with.
Residential customers received an average of nine items every week. This rises 11 items per week for those in the 45- to 54 year-old age group. Internet users received highest level of mail - at 13 items per week on average.
Domestic users posted five letters or parcels per week, according to the ComReg survey, and just over half were happy with postage costs.