Author: Archive

UK Royal Mail improves but continutes to fail

Posted by | Nov 18, 2004 | |

In the first six months of 2004/05 Royal Mail have failed to achieve 14 of their 15 minimum performance targets. Compared with the same period last year services across the board have deteriorated. With only one service (Mailsort 3) showing an improvement. During the first six months of last year the all-important 1st class mail performance was above the 92.5 per cent target at 92.7 per cent delivered next day. This year the figure has slumped to 90.4 per cent. Over 200 million 1st class letters were not delivered next day. Peter Carr, Chairman of Postwatch commenting on the poor service levels said: “Customers are facing new price increases whilst service standards continue to fail the targets – yet Royal Mail profits are expected to double to GBP400 million plus.

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Postcomm grants a long term licence to AMP

Posted by | Nov 18, 2004 | |

Postcomm today granted a long term licence to Alternative Mail & Parcels Limited (AMP), to provide bulk mail, consolidated mail and tracked business-to-business mail services. AMP is a sister company of Datarun, which holds an interim licence, restricted to a pilot scheme of a minimum of 12 months’ duration. This will be revoked. AMP’s long term licence has a minimum life of seven years.

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FedEx to expand Kinko’s in Asia, posts China boom

Posted by | Nov 17, 2004 | |

FedEx Corp. is posting explosive growth in China and now plans to expand its Kinko’s copy-chain across Asia, a senior executive said on Wednesday. FedEx, which vies with Deutsche Post’s DHL Express and United Parcel Service Inc in the global courier arena, is trying to muscle in on an insular sector that it says could one day be the world’s top cargo market. Analysts estimate it could be worth USD1.5 billion annually. FedEx’s delivery volumes in China grew 52 percent in the quarter ended Aug. 31, said David Cunningham, FedEx’s Asia Pacific president. He did not elaborate. The US firm does not divulge sales by country or region. Now FedEx also wants to pump up the number of Kinko’s outlets in Asia to incorporate it into its global courier network and bring in more customers.

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China’s courier industry evolving rapidly

Posted by | Nov 17, 2004 | |

China’s courier industry is evolving rapidly as WTO-related legislation prises open the sector and market forces shape its development.

The largest player and former monopoly operator, China Post, has seen its market share erode steadily over the past decade — mostly by the foreign carriers, which have been investing heavily in China since 1984 when UPS started handling international express packages. Now nearly 60 overseas air companies provide cargo services in some 40 cities across the country. According to an analyst with China Merchants Securities, the major global players now control a 62percent of market share in the international express mail sector. This inevitably will increase as China grants unrestricted market access to foreign enterprises in express service by 2005 — by then the market could be worth some Rmb5bn (USD600m).

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An Post seeks LRC role in delivery row

Posted by | Nov 17, 2004 | |

Management at An Post has sought the immediate intervention of the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) to try to secure agreement on Christmas mail deliveries. The move was made yesterday as a row erupted on a separate front over the company’s decision to close its SDS parcel and courier service. The Communications Workers’ Union (CWU), citing a consultants’ report, claimed the decision was based on flawed financial projections and called for an independent inquiry. Executives of the company called a press conference to reject the allegation and accused the union of “not living in the real world”.

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Gov’t projects Japan Post spin-offs’ profit to decline over 10 yrs

Posted by | Nov 17, 2004 | |

The government projected Wednesday that all four spin-offs of Japan Post will be in the black in fiscal 2008 but, without new business, profits at three units will decline by the time the postal privatization process is completed in fiscal 2016. According to the estimate released by postal reform minister Heizo Takenaka, only the spin-off in charge of postal insurance will be in the red in fiscal 2007, when the 10-year privatization process begins. The remaining three will take over mail delivery, postal savings and post office network management from Japan Post. The projection is based on the assumption that the four entities do not start new businesses. “The business environment (for the Japan Post spin-offs) will become severe in 10 years. It is necessary to increase freedom in their management during that period,” Takenaka told a press conference, indicating his view that it is inevitable the entities will start new businesses.

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Union urges help for bigger UK post offices

Posted by | Nov 17, 2004 | |

Unions have called on the government to give financial support to the UK’s high street post offices in a bid to avoid closures. Amicus and the Communication Workers’ Union, which represent post office managers and workers respectively, told a committee of MPs yesterday that the so-called Crown Offices deserved the same help given by the Department of Trade and Industry to rural post offices.
The 555 flagship post offices directly owned and managed by Post Office Ltd are thought to be losing about Pounds 70m a year, and parent Royal Mail is reviewing their future. Although the state-owned group has said closures would be limited by relocation and franchising deals with retailers, Royal Mail has admitted that only 320 of the branches are commercially viable.

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Azkar raises FY 2004 sales growth target to 12-13 pct vs previous 10

Posted by | Nov 16, 2004 | |

Transportes Azkar SA said it has raised its full-year 2004 sales growth target to 12-13 pct from 10 pct previously. In a presentation to analysts, Azkar also said it has increased its full-year investment target to 25-30 mln eur from 20-25 mln previously. It reiterated its EBITDA growth target of 12-14 pct, noting that pretax profit growth is expected to decline 2-5 pct, mainly due to the absence of one-time gains compared with 2003. The company also reiterated its 8 pct growth target for routes.

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