Tag: Courier/Express/Parcels

Latvian express market grows 70pct in 2007

Posted by | Apr 22, 2008 | |

Latvia’s express parcel volumes increased by 70pct to 6.3 million shipments in 2007 compared to 3.7 million shipments in the previous year, according to the Latvian Public Utilities Commission’s (PUC) annual review of the country’s express delivery market, the Baltic Business Daily reported.

“Both domestic and international deliveries showed large growth. The incoming international express deliveries rose by 128pct, international outgoing deliveries by 35pct, and domestic express deliveries increased by 45pct,” the commission’s representative Zanete Luse was cited as saying.

In the domestic sector, DPD Latvija had the largest market share with 43pct in 2007 ahead of state-run postal operator Latvijas Pasts with 27pct, according to the regulator’s data. Other leading domestic players include Velokurjers, City Express, Autopasts Terminals and V-Sports.

The international sector was led by Itella Logistics with a 53pct market share followed by DPD Latvija with 19pct. Other leading international players include UPS partner EKL/LS, DHL, TNT and Autopasts Terminals.

The number of registered express companies in Latvia grew by eight to a total of 30 last year, according to the PUC. The PUC is an independent state institution responsible for regulating various sectors, including the postal market.

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TNT Express Italy wins contract and upgrades customer service

Posted by | Apr 21, 2008 | |

TNT Express Italy has renewed a distribution contract with leading direct sales company Amway based around its growing B2C network and invested EUR 1.4 million to improve its customer service offer with an automated system for pick-ups and new help teams.

US-owned Amway, which markets mostly cosmetics, healthcare and home products to consumers via independent retailers, will use the nationwide network of 1,200 TNT Points to distribute products to its salesforce.

Goods will be transported by road from the Amway hub in the Netherlands to TNT’s branch at Rho, near Milan, and then distributed throughout Italy through the TNT Point network. Amway salespersons can pick up their parcels at a convenient TNT Point instead of having to await courier delivery.

The B2C retail network, using a “shop-in-shop” concept in cooperation with retailers such as newsagents, tobacconists and office supply shops, is due to grow from 1,200 outlets to 1,500 by September.

Alessandro Sabato, managing director of Amway Italia, said 22,000 persons were selling Amway products each day in Italy, and they would now have rapid and comfortable access to their sales products.

Meanwhile, TNT Express Italy said it had completed a €1.4 million investment to upgrade its customer service offering under a contract with BT Italia. Following a successful test phase, TNT Express Italy has fully implemented the self-service speech application known as “Victoria” to handle standard calls from customers requesting pick-ups.

The Interactive Voice Responder (IVR) system requires just 3 – 6 standard questions to book a pick-up. Such calls were previously a “significant” proportion of the 36,000 daily calls handled by 500 call centre staff, TNT pointed out. “Victoria” is indistinguishable from a real person, and if problems arise, the customer is immediately transferred to a human operator, the company added.

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DHL buys Cargus in Romania

Posted by | Apr 21, 2008 | |

DHL has recently bought the domestic express courier company Cargus. The acquisition is a part of DHL’s strategy to strengthen its position on the Romanian parcel services market, according to officials.
“We expect DHL and Cargus to become the number one on the Romanian domestic courier market in terms of market size and quality of service,” said Gian Sharp, managing director of DHL Romania. The firms will continue to act as separate entities and will keep their employees, brands and the type of services offered.
The value of the transaction was not disclosed, but according to market estimates, it was around EUR 50 million.
The new joint management team will be led by Sharp, while Augustin Plesea, president of Cargus, will keep his position on the Cargus management board.
The acquisition will be completed following Competition Council approval.
DHL’s international network links more than 220 countries worldwide and has some 300,000 employees. The group generated revenues of more than EUR 63 billion last year.
Cargus owns more than 90 offices and expedition centers, 600 vehicles and has more than 1700 employees.

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Postcomm to review final mile delivery plans (UK)

Posted by | Apr 21, 2008 | |

Postcomm is reviewing the barriers postal operators face in the final mile delivery, due to the decline of competition since the postal market fully opened up in 2006.
Postcomm will explore whether competition in delivery is necessary to provide benefits to customers and, if so, seek to identify the key barriers to entry for delivery competition.
The postal regulator is assessing the potential benefits to ensure a healthy universal service and to support a range of reliable, innovative and efficient postal services.
While competition through access agreements has developed quickly since Royal Mail negotiated the first agreement in 2004, competition in delivery has declined for the last two years.
Postcomm has already identified a number of possible barriers, such as Royal Mail’s VAT exempt status, behaviour and redirection of mail. The regulator will also be seeking views on new and emerging issues affecting the growth of competition in delivery, such as market uncertainty, zonal access requirements, customer purchasing behaviour and limitations of using alternative networks.
A proposal will be issued in August 2008.

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DHL Express breaks regional TAPA record

Posted by | Apr 21, 2008 | |

Omar Cheik from DHL Express receives security certificate from TAPA auditor Aamir Shakir.DHL Express boosted its security credentials in the Middle East last month, after receiving accreditation from the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA) for its operations in Lebanon.
The globally acknowledged TAPA certification is rewarded to companies that successfully complete an evaluation of their cargo security procedures with a panel of independent auditors. DHL Express, which now operates 16 TAPA certified facilities in the Middle East, scored 99.42 pct during its evaluation in Lebanon, breaking its previous record of 98.86 pct in the UAE.

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