Italian post office strengthens ties with France
The Italian post office, Poste Italiane, saw its mail volume rise by 10 per cent last year, to 7.2 billion items. At the same time, there was a double-digit increase in mail revenues, owing to growth in the most profitable segments of the market, such as direct marketing and commercial post. Poste Italiane has now decided to forge closer links with its French counterpart, La Poste, by making its unit-linked life assurance policies available in French post offices. At the same time, it has raised its stake in Aspheria, its joint-venture with La Poste, to 40 per cent.