Expanded services for City Link and Target Express

Courier company City Link is standardising its brand, product, operations and sales function across the combined City Link and newly acquired Target Express business. A number of new initiatives have been announced including offerings for the bulk post market, wider international services and track and trace for Target Express customers.

Press release follows:
From 1 May, the City Link brand will appear on the full fleet of 4,350 commercial vehicles across the UK, and an enhanced product range will launch, available to all existing and new customers.

For the first time, City Link will target the bulk post market, there will also be a wider range of international services. Meanwhile, former Target Express customers will be offered a greater level of security, track and trace functionality for the first time, and additional products such as nominated time delivery including before 7.30am.

The new product set caters for every eventuality for B2B and B2C markets. Sales of the new product range will be the responsibility of a single, unified sales team. The new team will be structured by region to provide local focus with the back up of nationwide support systems.

Later this year, there will be additional investment in new and existing mechanical handling equipment, depot technology and cage tracking. The fleet will also be enhanced with the purchase of 140 hard-sided trailers and 7,000 new wheeled cages.

The acquisition of Target Express by City Link was completed in December 2006. The launch, just four months later, of the new standard product range, consistent brand and sales & marketing functions, has been made possible by the swift introduction of standard IT system across both City Link and the former Target Express network. Connectivity is in place between all sites across the UK.

Michael Cooke, managing director of City Link, comments: “We have been working hard to understand what really matters to our customers and what changes need to be made to not only secure their loyalty but also to grow our customer base. We are determined to maintain this pace and introduce additional enhancements both operationally and across the customer proposition which will further delight our customers in months to come. Our aim is to become the most competitive, efficient and customer focused delivery business in the UK.

“We have set out to combine the very best of City Link and Target Express, and our move to a single brand and customer proposition, achieved ahead of schedule, demonstrates the commitment of our people to create the UK’s finest service company.”
Emma Herrod