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Homebase sales take shine off Home Retail

Posted by | May 9, 2007 | |

Home Retail Group has posted a jump in profits for last year, despite weaker sales at its Homebase chain.
The group, which also owns Argos, said this morning that it had beaten analyst expectations with a pre-tax profit before exceptional items of GBP 376m in the year to March 2006. This was a 12% jump on the previous year.
Total group sales were up 6% to GBP 5.85bn. Chief executive Terry Duddy said this meant the company had now captured 10% of the total UK home merchandise market.
Argos achieved a 2.4% rise in like-for-like sales, which Mr Duddy said was partly due to last year’s World Cup – which sparked a surge in sales of new televisions.
But Homebase’s like-for-like sales dropped by 1.4%, due to disappointing sales of DIY and home decorating products. This follows a 3.1% drop in comparable sales the previous year.
Shares in the company opened down 1.75p at GBP 4.54, but analysts were encouraged by today’s results.
“Argos is generating like-for-like sales growth, whilst Homebase appears to have arrested the decline in like-for-like sales and the group continues to expand its store numbers for each,” said Keith Bowman, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.
“Distribution remains a key strength at Argos, with internet orders up by 45% and now representing over 16% of total sales. It could perhaps be argued that Argos is slowly becoming the Amazon of the UK.”
Home Retail Group declined to give any details of current trading this morning, but cautioned that this year would be challenging given recent interest rate rises.
“In addition, comparatives for the retail market as a whole, and particularly Argos, become tougher as we start to face last year’s positive impacts of the World Cup,” the group warned.

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Kuehne + Nagel growth-oriented logistics development in the Asia Pacific region

Posted by | May 8, 2007 | |

Kuehne + Nagel is rapidly developing its contract logistics business in the Asia Pacific region. Accelerated expansion in regional warehousing, distribution and lead logistics capacities, particularly in China and India, together with a strategic focus on innovative product development and process optimization, represent the cornerstones of the company’s plan to enhance its market position in the Asia Pacific region, as well as globally.

Kuehne + Nagel rolled out its expansion plan for contract logistics in the Asia Pacific region in 2005. Since then, the business unit’s activities have considerably strengthened, with a series of significant business wins and the opening of new facilities. At present, the company’s contract logistics network in Asia Pacific comprises 43 locations in 13 countries, with a managed warehouse space of 200,000 sqm.

Dirk Reich, EVP Contract Logistics and member of the Management Board of Kuehne + Nagel International AG, said at a press conference in Hong Kong today, “To achieve our objective of offering customers in Asia Pacific high-value logistics services, we plan to significantly expand our infrastructure facilities across the entire region. By the end of 2007, our total warehouse space will rise to 300,000 sqm at more than 60 locations. We envisage organic growth well above the market average and selected local acquisitions, and thereby to achieve a leading market position in this dynamic region.”

Key to the development plan is an enhanced service portfolio to cover a wide spectrum of needs and applications along the global supply chain. This extends from the implementation of Kuehne + Nagel’s globally standardized warehouse management systems across the region, and the implementation of ever more sophisticated industry-specific supply chain management solutions, for example for the automotive, high-tech, industrial goods, pharmaceutical and healthcare, as well as retail and Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sectors, through to specific services for selected niche markets, such as aviation and hotel logistics. This enhanced portfolio will allow Kuehne + Nagel to optimally support customers in meeting their individual supply chain requirements.

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New Post Office payout uses barcode technology to deliver instant cash payments

Posted by | May 8, 2007 | |

The way companies issue payments, refunds and product incentives to customers is set to be radically transformed through the launch of the new payout service from the Post Office.

Post Office payout allows companies to distribute promotional incentives and cash payments at a fraction of the cost of issuing cheques. Using the latest barcode technology, companies simply send a reference code by text, email or post which customers take to any of the UK’s 14,000 Post Office branches to receive an instant cash payment.

The Post Office payout solution can be tailored to meet the needs of individual businesses, with identity verification available to provide increased security for higher value transactions. An optional data capture service is also available to allow companies to gather valuable market intelligence about customers’ preferences and purchasing habits.

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Correos given recognition at the SIC Awards

Posted by | May 8, 2007 | |

Correos has been given an award in the 4th edition of the SIC Awards, held as part of Securmática 2007, the annual Spanish conference on Information Security that sets and defines the strategic trends in the sector. The award, collected by Rubén Muñoz, Correos’ Technology and Systems Manager, has been granted in recognition of the programme of actions and projects orientated towards information protection and the security of Information and Communication Technologies.

This set of initiatives, designed to guarantee computer security, forms part of the INTEGRA 2004-2008 plan. The most important of these are the Security Master Plan (measures designed to protect the security of the postal company), the Identity Management System (which manages access to all Correos’ information systems), the Anti-Virus Project (installation of software on more than 18,000 information terminals and central servers), the Perimeter Security System (which secures Correos’ internal network), the Business Continuity Plan, and the Data Processing Centre’s Backup Centre. Correos invests an average of six million euro per year in computer security.

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Latest mail on post box

Posted by | May 8, 2007 | |

AN AUSTRALIA Post policy of keeping post boxes at least 2km apart is unfair to Casey’s older residents, says Narre Warren North state Labor MP Luke Donnellan.

Casey Council lobbied Australia Post on behalf of Narre Warren North residents who wanted a post box on Drysdale Ave. The nearest post box is more than 1.5km away.

But last week the city released a letter it received from the national postal service stating it had no intention of installing a post box at the Heathdale estate site.

Mr Donnellan said the news would be a blow for older residents.

“Post boxes are particularly important for older residents in danger of feeling isolated,” he said. “It allows them to stay in touch with friends and relatives.”

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FF TRY POLITICS OF THE PLAYGROUND

Posted by | May 8, 2007 | |

FIANNA Fil has announced proposals aimed at developing community facilities.

Party bosses claimed the scheme, called Community Development Plan, would be provided with a dedicated fund of E150million.

Community and Rural Affairs Minister Eamon ” CuIv said: ‘Fianna Fil believes that all communities should have a guaranteed level of facilities including playgrounds, local markets, recycling, sports and other recreational facilities.

‘Through this new E150million fund, communities will be able to take facilities to an entirely new level and quality.’ The announcement comes, however, amid growing concerns at moves to close down post offices in towns and villages where they aren’t economically viable.

More than 400 sub-post offices have been shut down since the start of the decade and management at An Post is carrying out a review of the remaining 1,300 outlets.

Irish Postmasters’ Union general secretary John Kane said: ‘The IPU is calling on the incoming government, irrespective of its political makeup, to agree the principle that a public service obligation payment be put in place in order to ensure the survival of much of the existing post office network.’

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DPD aiming to expand in Germany

Posted by | May 8, 2007 | |

German parcel delivery specialist DPD, a subsidiary of French postal service operator La Poste, is hoping to increase its share of the German market thanks to a new strategy. The company’s core business will in future include deliveries to private addresses, express deliveries within a guaranteed time and worldwide deliveries. Until now, the company has focused on national and European parcel deliveries.

Experts estimate that the overall market grew by an average of 4.4 per cent last year, while the market for deliveries to private customers grew by over 10 per cent. This trend is expected to continue over the next few years. DPD currently delivers around 35 million parcels to private customers each year and is thus well behind DHL, the express subsidiary of German postal service operator Deutsche Post, and Hermes, a subsidiary of German mail-order group Otto. Among other measures, DPD plans to expand its network of shops; the company intends to have 2,500 shops by the end of the year and 5,000 by 2010, compared with only around 500 at present. Last year, DPD increased its turnover by 7 per cent to around 1bn euros.

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Azkar continues to expand in Spain

Posted by | May 8, 2007 | |

The Spanish express and freight company Azkar has continued its expansion in Spain by opening three new distribution centres in Toledo and Jaén provinces.

The two Toledo centres, located on plots of 8,000 sqm (3,348 sqm constructed) and 2,028 sqm (1,962 sqm constructed) will be staffed by 55 people with 25 vehicles, and are located on the Mariola industrial estate in Huecas and at Talavera de la Reina, respectively.

Azkar has also built a 1,052 sqm facility on the Los Olivares industrial estate in the Andalusian city of Jaén, where 28 employees will work with six pick-up and delivery vehicles.

The logistics operator has been expanding rapidly over the past five years, investing EUR 175 million modernising and automating infrastructure and fleet. It has invested nearly EUR 40 million since the beginning of 2006, including opening new platforms near Bilbao and Zaragoza to improve distribution across the Iberian peninsula and connections with the rest of Europe. It also bought Barcelona-based freight forwarder Boss Continental earlier this year.

Azkar now has around 90 installations in Spain and Portugal on over 1.1 million sqm of land (over 640,000 sqm of warehouses and offices), employs 5,000 workers and has a fleet of more than 2,200 vehicles. It is a member of the EuroExpress urgent package delivery network and has an office in Shanghai.

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