Author: Archive

TPN trials reduced time frame for RDC deliveries

Posted by | Sep 19, 2007 | |

The Pallet Network (TPN) and its members are trialling a system to cut the amount of time trucks are sat waiting to make deliveries into RDCs. At a meeting of TPN members in July this issue was raised as a major concern for all hauliers and as a result trial has been set up. Adam Leonard, managing director at TPN, says an increasing proportion of the deliveries made through the network were into RDCs.

“Our members are fed up with queuing and losing the vehicle for hours if not a whole day, while it waits to make a delivery at an RDC and so we are trialling a system where we will only make deliveries into RDCs between 9am and 2pm.” He adds the problems are symptomatic of the fact that major retailers are putting the squeeze on their suppliers. “The trial is a fairly radical step [designed to] prevent the rest of our members’ customers being penalised because the trucks carrying their deliveries are stuck in an RDC.”

Leonard admits that the policy has resulted in some “tough” conversations with the retail customers of some members. “But there needs to be sensible dialogue so the retailers understand why we are doing this.”This is something that collectively the pallet networks should be addressing with the major retailers because it is not cost effective for the transport industry,” he says.

The trail is due to run for a month, after which TPN will collect feedback from the members and decide whether to extend the policy more permanently.

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Direct Marketing Services – Industry Profile

Posted by | Sep 19, 2007 | |

The direct marketing services industry includes about 3,700 companies with combined annual revenue of over USD 11 billion. Major companies include Harte-Hanks, InfoUSA, RR Donnelley & Sons, and Acxiom. The industry is relatively fragmented: the 50 largest firms account for 46 percent of industry revenue.

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German cabinet paves way for minimum wage for postal workers

Posted by | Sep 19, 2007 | |

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Cabinet agreed on legislation that paves the way for basic rates of pay for postal workers, a move that extends the industries covered by statutory pay levels without introducing a national minimum wage.

The bill is a precondition for agreement between the postal employers’ association and the Ver.di labor union on a basic rate of pay for people who deliver, sort and collect letters. The deal excludes workers delivering packages, newspapers, magazine or books unless they also carry letters.

The regulation became necessary because Deutsche Post AG, Europe’s largest postal service, loses its letter-delivery monopoly at the end of this year, yet other European countries aren’t immediately following suit, Labor Minister Franz Muentefering told reporters in Berlin today.

A statutory minimum wage may be good news for Deutsche Post, which has forecast that domestic competition will trim earnings at its mail division by as much as 20 percent by 2009. The minimum wage regulation would also apply to competitors such as Pin AG.

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The 12th Pitney Bowes leadership roundtable concludes in Majorca, Spain

Posted by | Sep 19, 2007 | |

The 12th Pitney Bowes Leadership Roundtable, “Strengthening the Industry through Partnerships” has concluded at The Hotel Castillo Son Vida, Majorca, Spain. Highlights included an Executive Dialogue with Michael J. Critelli,

Executive Chairman of Pitney Bowes and a welcome speech from the President of
Correos, José Damián Santiago. “All attendees contributed to a series of frank and enlightening discussions on how different facets of the industry can partner to build a strong future for all,” said

Luis A. Jimenez, Sr. Vice President and Chief Industry Policy Officer, Pitney Bowes, who conceived and organizes the Roundtables, “We were particularly pleased to have a record number of postal operators represented as well as contributors from customers, parcel companies and a host of industry stakeholder,” he added.

All in all 17 countries were represented at the three day event and Posts from all over the globe attended including key executives and directors from: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, UK and USA. Other participants include: IPC, PostEurop, FedEx, UPS, Cisco and the Print on Demand Initiative (PODi).

All attendees said they had found the event of great value and were looking forward to the next Roundtable to be held in Whistler Canada, February 18-21, 2008.

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Postmaster General champions value of mail on national broadcast

Posted by | Sep 19, 2007 | |

From leveraging cutting-edge technology to conducting national elections, mail matters to American consumers and businesses and finding ways to make mail more valuable is invaluable to the future of the U.S. Postal Service.

That’s the message Postmaster General John E. Potter shared with more than 14,000 customers and Postal Service officials gathered at more than 150 sites to participate in National PCC Day today. The Postal Customer Council™ is a network of community-based business mailers and representatives of the U.S. Postal Service, who gather regularly to share ideas and resources to create a closer working relationship. On both the national and local levels, Postal Customer Councils (PCCs) work to continually improve service and communications.

The Intelligent Mail Barcode is one way the Postal Service is leveraging technology to provide greater value and ease to business mailers, he said. Intelligent Mail barcodes provide a wealth of information to mailers, including the ability to track mail end-to-end. More than 200 mailers are using the barcode, according to Potter. Earlier this month, the Postal Service recorded a major milestone: the one billionth barcode was scanned. One out of every 100 pieces of mail sorted daily now contains the Intelligent Mail Barcode — and use of the barcode is entirely voluntary at this time.

Potter was joined during the broadcast by Georgann Dustan of the Elections Division of Multnomah County, OR, who praised the security of the mail and Postal Service infrastructure that helped make voting by mail a success in her state, and by John Greco, president and chief executive officer of the Direct Marketing Association. Greco estimated that marketers will invest more than USD 55 billion on direct mail this year.

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UK etailers failing to provide contact details – survey

Posted by | Sep 19, 2007 | |

A new study of the UK’s online retailers has revealed that many e-commerce sites are not offering customers a range of contact details, while many offer limited delivery options and no customer feedback features.

The survey, from website monitoring firm NetExtract analysed a sample of 10,000 e-commerce websites in the UK. It found that many e-commerce sites are missing very basic options.

Findings of the survey:

Contact details
Incredibly. 60% of UK online retailers provided no telephone number on their website, 43% displayed no business address, while 39% had no contact email address.

In addition, 30% of sites profiled provided no telephone number or email address.

This is surprising, given that providing contact details is a very basic thing for websites, and is absolutely essential as a way of reinforcing customer trust. I would never buy anything from such a site, and a recent UK survey suggested that 50% of online shoppers wouldn’t buy without contact details either.

Delivery options
11% of etailers provided a free postage or delivery service, while only 15% offered a next day or Special Delivery service. Of the delivery companies named on the websites Royal Mail was identified in 17% of cases.

Customer reviews
The study found that only 38% of online retailers have a testimonial or comments section on their website.

More than half of the UK’s online consumers say that reviews are important in the buying process, while similar numbers have more trust and respect for those brands which display reviews.

Our recent Social Commerce Report found that online retailers are beginning to catch on. Our report found that customer ratings/reviews are being used by 28% of online retailers, and that more than half were considering adding such a feature to their websites.

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