UK Mail cuts cross-border e-commerce parcel rates

UK Mail Group has said its consumer parcel delivery service, ipostparcels, has cut its prices for international shipping by up to 26%. The company said yesterday it was looking to tap the rapid growth in cross-border delivery within the e-commerce industry.

ipostparcels launched its international delivery service back in June, offering collection from the customer and shipment to more than 160 destinations, with access to services provided through an online booking system.

UK Mail said research from consultancy Forrester found that more than two out of three online shoppers in the USA, France and the UK have purchased an item online from a company located outside their home country in the past year.

An Internet Retailer survey found that three quarters of e-commerce retailers in the UK are already selling to customers abroad, with 70% of the remaining retailers planning to start within a year.

UK Mail said it is now looking to be one of the most competitively priced international parcel couriers in the UK.

It has dropped prices for items delivered to the US, China, Australia, France and Spain.

Prices start at £10.82 to the US, £9.89 to Germany (including VAT).

“Momentum”

Guy Buswell, the UK Mail Group chief executive, said the price changes followed a review of the market.

“International ecommerce is rapidly gaining momentum. We want to be able to provide our customers attractive services and prices,” he said.

“With studies showing international trade on the rise, we decided to make substantial price cuts across our entire international shipping service. We’re offering some of the best-priced international parcel delivery services on the UK market and hope that customers will take advantage of our flexible services whilst making significant cost savings.”

ipostparcels has been providing online consumer parcel collection and delivery since August 2011, operating through UK Mail’s network of 55 sites and 3,500 drivers across the country.