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Thai SMEs driving UPS sales growth

Posted by | Nov 7, 2007 | |

UPS expects higher growth from its Thai business next year, driven by a stronger economy after the Dec 23 election. Thai small and medium-sized companies, which have a tendency to export more, have been key drivers for UPS growth, according to Steve Okun, Senior Vice-President for UPS Asia Pacific.

UPS has reported double-digit growth rates for four years in a row despite the strong baht, which should have had a bigger impact on its international package delivery service.

Even in the face of the economic slowdown, the company expects the growth to continue this year.

Around half of its business activities in Thailand are driven by SMEs, as well as auto-parts makers, and apparel and jewellery industries.

To expand its SME client base, UPS has joined with the US Department of Commerce to promote trade between the US and Thai SMEs through a symposium called ”Moving Thailand Forward” held yesterday.

Thailand is the first country with which Washington has initiated promotion of SME trading activities.

Business matching activities and product sourcing are provided under the programme as well.

Washington sees Thailand as one of its key trade partners. The country ranked 15th in terms of export value, at USD 20 billion per year, while imports from US stand at $7 billion per year.

The US government also aims to assist American SMEs in expanding their businesses in Thailand to reduce the US’s trade deficit with the country.

UPS had earlier expected 50 companies to join the programme but so far 150 SMEs have already registered for the programme with the US Embassy in Thailand, said Mr Okun.

By linking with the US Department of Commerce, UPS could provide additional services to its SME clients beyond shipping services.

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US Postal Service Sends Consumers a Holiday Greeting

Posted by | Nov 7, 2007 | |

Help is on the way. The U.S. Postal Service will mail 110 million greeting cards to households across the country this week, offering simple solutions for holiday challenges.

“Everyone can use a little extra help around the holidays. We know that customers want more choices and convenience to help manage their time, especially this time of year,” said Anita Bizzotto, USPS chief marketing officer and executive vice president. “The Holiday Guide is one more way for us to help families enjoy the best the season has to offer. Today’s holidays need today’s mail.”

This is the fourth year the Postal Service has created a special holiday guide for consumers. Unlike the guides of holidays past, this year’s guide is designed to look more like a greeting card. And instead of a series of quick takes on products and services, the card sends recipients to the Internet and usps.com.

The Postal Service website is like a Post Office that’s always open, available to customers at a time and place convenient for them. The card highlights some of the most popular services offered online that will give consumers something they can really use during the holidays.

In the time it takes to download a tune or a video onto an iPod, customers can:

– Pay postage
– Print shipping labels
– Request free package pickup
– Build personalized greeting cards
– Create holiday postage
– Order free, environmentally friendly packaging
– Find Post Office locations and hours

Customers also can check on recommended mailing dates to make sure packages arrive safely and on time for the holidays. First-Class Mail and Priority Mail should be sent by Dec. 20. The recommended date for sending items by Express Mail is Dec. 22. And the date for sending holiday cheer by Parcel Post, the most economical service, is Dec. 15.

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Cooperation agreement benefits the Portuguese-speaking countries of Africa

Posted by | Nov 7, 2007 | |

The Association of Post Office and Telecommunications Operators from the Portuguese Speaking Countries and Territories (AICEP) and the Universal Postal Union signed a cooperation agreement today, at the start of the UPU Council of Administration plenary session in Berne. This agreement defines a package of assistance that will be given to Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa, totalling 120,000 USD over two years.
It is the regional development plan (RDP), the cooperation tool developed by the UPU, which forms the basis of this aid project. Under the agreement, Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique and Sao Tomé and Principe will obtain the electronic tools and know-how needed to put their postal services on the path towards lasting reform.
The introduction of continuous testing to help countries achieve the UPU’s J+5 standard for 65 pct of international mail, the creation of a database of mail collection and delivery points, accelerated introduction of IPS Light, the software solution for item tracking and information exchange, the implementation of an electronic money transfer network, and the holding of training workshops on cost accounting and postal operations, via the TRAINPOST programme, are some of the principal measures covered by the agreement signed today. Some of these activities have already been in progress since 2006.
“With this agreement, the UPU and the AICEP are underlining the importance of providing a funding framework to assist Posts whose resources are lacking. It is an example of cooperation that should be followed by the entire postal community, since it provides a perfect definition of concrete measures and a reasonable timeframe” says Manuel Frexes, Chairman of the AICEP.

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Dentsu Tec & Japan Post Service create Joint Venture

Posted by | Nov 7, 2007 | |

Dentsu and its wholly owned subsidiary Dentsu Tec together with Japan Post Service, a company belonging to the Japan Post Holdings, announced that the companies had signed an agreement to establish a new joint venture.

Japan Post Service and the Dentsu Group have been actively studying ways to establish a comprehensive, strategic business relationship that would integrate Japan Post Service’s strong network and brand value with the Dentsu Group’s expertise in the field of database marketing in order to create a postal-related business capable of providing consumers with useful information about companies and products, and to revitalize the direct promotion market in Japan.

Based on the results of the above studies, the three companies have reached an agreement to establish a joint venture to develop new types of postal media, and to promote businesses related to these new media.

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Royal Mail payments won't plug pension hole

Posted by | Nov 6, 2007 | |

Royal Mail’s plan to clear its pension deficit is set to leave a 2.9 billion pound hole because the group is understating the size of the deficit, a leading pension consultant said on Tuesday.
In a note for RBC Capital Markets, independent consultant John Ralfe says the company’s latest annual report shows it is basing its 17-year plan of inflation-linked annual payments of 260 million pounds on a deficit of 3.4 billion pounds — below the 5 billion pound deficit under accounting standard IAS 19.
Such a payment plan is set to leave a deficit of 2.9 billion pounds, meaning the group may have to raise charges to customers.
The Royal Mail pension scheme’s 450,000 members make it the UK’s largest corporate pension scheme by that measure.
Ralfe’s note comes shortly after the state-owned group, which lost its 350-year monopoly on postal services last year, faced strikes by workers over pensions, pay and shift changes.
The company said last week falling mail volumes, rising competition and a payment into its pension scheme led to a one-third drop in annual profit. It also attracted controversy by saying Chief Executive Adam Crozier would collect 74 percent of his performance-related bonus.
Ralfe said Royal Mail’s shortfall in payments could lead to higher charges for customers.
“Customers are paying for the pension deficit through higher stamp prices, agreed with Postcomm in the 2006-2010 price control review,” he said.

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MapChart goes Scandinavian

Posted by | Nov 6, 2007 | |

Norpost – a leading postal service company from Norway announces a value added web service. Dedicated to business customers, the new business mapping solution is a perfect tool to simplify requests for unadressed direct marketing campaigns.

Norpost AS, a Norwegian specialist in customer oriented door drop marketing, leaflet distribution and spatial segmentation services is offering its customers an online geoinformation system for campaign planning.

By using the new technology of the German MapChart GmbH customers in Norway are now able to select in a fast and easy way target and distribution areas together with the latest houshold figures. The MapChart Stage technology is an application service provided with software and updated maps. The software and mapping data is hosted with a high performance and was integrated from the MapChart server directly in the Norpost web project.

Based on the corporate design of the Norpost web service the application was customized accordingly concerning colors, language, interface design and handling.

Advantages for the customers of Norpost are faster ordering process of marketing services, transparent information on the demographic structure in Norway and current display of the postal code areas for the planning of the distribution areas.

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TNT appoints Thailand GM

Posted by | Nov 6, 2007 | |

TNT Express has appointed a new Thailand General Manager to press ahead with the company’s expansion, including a new depot north of Bangkok and the Good Morning Delivery at 10am service.

Alan Miu is assigned to boost the growth of TNT as the leading express-delivery service provider in Thailand.

He will also spearhead TNT’s ongoing project, the Asia Road Network, which it started more than two years ago. He will oversee the opening of another depot in Pathum Thani. The depot is under construction.

One of his priorities is Good Morning Delivery at 10am, which was launched here six weeks ago to complement existing TNT services at 9am and noon.

Hong Kong-born, but now a Singaporean, Miu is also in charge of TNT’s overall country strategy, operations, sales, and marketing and customer services.

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Draft regulation could mean higher TNT rates – OPTA

Posted by | Nov 6, 2007 | |

A draft Dutch post regulation could mean higher stamp prices from mail and parcel firm TNT after liberalisation of the market, post and telecoms regulator OPTA said on Tuesday.
OPTA pointed out a potential loophole in draft regulation supplementing the country’s new postal law that is due to end TNT’s remaining monopoly in the Netherlands from January 2008, which could lead to higher prices.
Investors have closely followed the liberalisation process as it affects the Dutch mail business, one of TNT’s most profitable units. Higher stamp prices could mean better margins for the unit.
The Dutch parliament had approved the postal law in June but left a number of details for the economy ministry to flesh out. The ministry’s draft regulation was submitted to parliament on Tuesday, and OPTA released its comments at the same time.
OPTA — which will be in charge of overseeing the so-called universal service that includes consumer mail and parcels — said a subtle difference to the existing postal regulation could allow TNT to move profitable activities outside of the scope of regulators and hence boost stamp prices.
Instead of TNT as a group, its Dutch unit TNT Post BV will be assigned as provider of the universal service, OPTA said.
“TNT has the possibility to take profitable postal activities out of TNT Post and move them to another unit. This would decrease the economies of scale that are realised by providing postal services in one unit,” OPTA said.
“As a rule it can be said that lower economies of scale lead to higher tariffs.”
TNT spokesman said the company viewed the regulation drafted by the economy ministry as a continuation of the current situation and that it considered the rules workable. He declined to comment specifically on OPTA’s comments.

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