Winning market share through innovation
Winning market share through innovation
Read MoreTag: DHL
Royal Mail raises prices for B2B and commercial (UK)
Financial constraints on printers will increase in 2008 as Royal Mail has announced price hikes for its business-to-business mailing.
However, according to postal price comparison website Post-Switch, the price increases are more likely to affect upstream mailing providers such as TNT and DHL.
From 7 April, Royal Mail will be increasing its Mailsort tariff rates. Mailsort two is going up by 1.5p per unit and Mailsort three is up 0.8p.
Commercial mail prices will also increase, with a first class mailer costing 36p, up from 34p, and the second class price increasing from 24p to 27p.
Jonathan DeCarteret, Senior Postal Analyst at Post-Switch, said: “What we are witnessing here is an attempt by Royal Mail to reduce the margin between its retail rates and the downstream access rates it charges competitors to access the final mile.
“Mail operators wishing to maintain a price advantage over Royal Mail are going to have to reduce their profits.”
Although a number of private operators have entered the UK postal market since it was opened up to full competition in February 2006, Royal Mail continues to dominate final mile delivery. Only 12 pct of the UK direct mail volume has switched from Royal Mail to downstream access, according to Post-Switch.
Read MoreDHL Germany launches new service for transportation of heavy goods
DHL Paket Deutschland, the German parcel division of DHL, has launched a new customer service under the name “DHL Maxitransport” for transportation of heavy and cumbrous objects like furniture and household appliances with effect 4 February 2008.
With the new service customers can ship almost everything up to 100 kg that can be carried by two persons. This weight limit does not apply to rollable objects like mopeds or motor-bikes since they do not have to be lifted during pick-up and delivery.
Moreover, the delivery does not end at the recipient’s door. DHL said it will even deliver items such as sofas into the living room on request.
If requested and for an additional charge, DHL also takes charge of packaging when picking up the shipment. The total price varies according to the volume or weight of the shipment as well as additional services. The order can be made via the internet through DHL online stamping in a similar way to parcel orders.
Uwe Brinks, DHL Paket Deutschland managing director, said: “We have to adapt our services continuously to the changing needs of our customers to be successful in the parcel market. With the DHL Maxitransport we are offering a very special service. A sofa can now be shipped as easily as a parcel”.
Read MoreDeutsche Post World Net and Daimler AG give go-ahead for the first hybrid truck in Europe
Deutsche Post World Net is the first logistics company in Europe to trial hybrid trucks in its operations. The go-ahead for the largest fleet test in the company’s history was given on January 29, 2008 during the World Mobility Forum in Stuttgart. Andreas Renschler, member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Daimler Trucks, today handed over the first two vehicles, a Mercedes-Benz Atego BlueTec Hybrid and a Mitsubishi Fuso Canter Eco Hybrid, to Deutsche Post World Net.
The trial will initially include DHL Express operations in the UK as well as mail transport in Germany. In the coming months further Daimler hybrid vehicles will be integrated into the DHL fleet.
DHL can already draw on past experiences with hybrid vehicles in Japan where DHL has been successfully using the Fuso Canter Eco Hybrid since July 2006.
Deutsche Post World Net is currently working on a comprehensive climate protection program for the entire Group. One point of focus is the use of alternative drives, such as electric, gas and hybrid engines. With its DHL Innovation Center, opened in March 2007, the Group thus is leading in technologies and innovations. It is facing up to its responsibility as the world’s market leader in logistics and helping to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
Read MoreDHL UAE provides web-based service for complete accounting transparency
DHL UAE has launched a web-based service called ‘MyAccount’ which it claims will provide complete transparency for all invoicing and account services 24/7 through real time accounting and tracking information.
The MyAccount service offers easy access to account and billing information, and is ideal for customers who wish to determine the charges on their shipments before the goods are delivered, DHL UAE said. Providing easy online access, the service also allows customers to view shipment information such as tracking shipments in real time.
The system also enables the accounting departments of DHL’s customers to view their invoices electronically and load the charges in their system, thus saving paperwork and time.
“MyAccount is a simple to use web-based service that gives customers greater control of their accounting requirements every step of the way, and allows DHL to deliver results faster, with greater transparency,” said Janet Jweihan, DHL UAE Country Manager.
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