Nightfreight (GB), which announced a secondary buy-out in July 2005, has reported a 9.8% increase in turnover to £112.4m for 2004—but operating profit was down by more than 47%.
Its IDW Overnight business accounted for £86.5m of turnover in 2004, down 0.6%
The logistics business accounted for £19.6m of turnover, a 26.6% increase on 2003’s £15.5m. The Deliver2Home business made £6.3m turnover in its first year of operation.
Following the Federal Council’s decision in September to open up the postal market, letters weighing more than 100 grams will be subject to VAT from 1 April 2006. This will mean an extra VAT bill of around CHF 30 million for Swiss Post, part of which it will cover itself. In addition, the price of certain products will be reduced. Only B4 letters weighing between 101 and 500 grams will be slightly more expensive; for letters with proof of delivery there is now a single, efficient and economic option: registered mail. For many corporate customers, these slight adjustments will mean a drop in prices as they can claim back the VAT from the tax authorities. The price of letters weighing less than 100 grams remains unchanged. The price watchdog has approved the new prices.
Read MoreExpress parcel carrier Parceline has invested pounds 550,000 by taking on premises formerly owned by brewer Scottish and Newcastle. Previously based on Gateshead’s Team Valley, Parceline has re-located to Monkton Business Park in Hebburn, South Tyneside. Parceline depot manager Colin Edwards said: “We’ve already created five new jobs and there is the potential to expand further over the next 12 months.” The new 4.8-acre site includes a 29,000sq ft warehouse and office space.
Read MoreA warning was issued yesterday that the future of fragile rural communities could be at risk if the Government fails to pledge greater commitment to safeguarding sub-post offices. Allan Reid, Lib Dem MP for Argyll and Bute, is calling for a long-term promise of support for rural post offices. “We have already seen the Clydesdale Bank closing branches and, if the sub-post offices close as well, it’s going to kill a lot of villages, because usually the post office is combined with the local shop, so that will go as well. At the moment there is a guarantee against unavoidable closures of rural post offices, but that stops next year. “The Government has a package in place – a nationwide subsidy – to support local post offices, but that runs out in 2008 and I know that the future of local post offices, without a guarantee for their long-term future, is very bleak.” As well as committing to a long-term subsidy of rural post offices, the Government needs to allow small branches to deal with more transactions, such as vehicle taxation, he said.
Read MoreDHL has few chances in the USA as it has entered the market too late, German weekly newspaper Zeit said on November 24, 2005, citing US FedEx Corp. CEO Frederick Smith. DHL’s US advertising campaign launched in 2004 has been “extremely unsuccessful”, and it’s US business has been suffering from integration and service quality Smith added.
Read MoreThe Board of Deutsche Post announces that the European Commission today gave unconditional clearance to the proposed acquisition of Exel plc by Deutsche Post under the EC Merger Regulation. Completion of the Offer remains subject to the satisfaction or, if permitted, waiver of the remaining conditions to the Offer set out in the Scheme Document, including, inter alia, the sanction of the Scheme by the Court and the reduction of capital. The hearing of the petition to the Court to sanction the Scheme and to confirm the reduction of capital is expected to take place on 9 December 2005 and 12 December 2005 respectively. It is expected that the last day for dealings in Exel Shares will be 9 December 2005 and that the Scheme will become effective on 13 December 2005.
Read MorePortugal’s post operator CTT-Correios de Portugal plans to advance with the project for the establishment of a post bank in the country with or without the agreement of Portugal’s largest bank Caixa Geral de Depositos (CGD), it was reported on November 24, 2005. An agreement signed with CGD in January 2003 tied CTT with the state bank concerning the establishment of a post bank. CTT’s former board of directors announced at the beginning of 2004 its plans to launch a post bank in collaboration with Portuguese financial group Banif, but Portuguese Government recently renounced the model.
Read MoreThe Chinese postal service business of Dutch mail and logistics company TNT NV said on November 24, 2005 it would expand its activities from January 1, 2006 through the launch of a data collection programme, aimed at servicing advertisers and investors. TNT China’s postal service division will collect data for advertisers in the large Chinese cities of Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. TNT has already started earlier in 2005 a data collection project in Shanghai.
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