By diversifying – by moving into logistics, financial services, and mail-order retail – Poste Italiane has turned its once unproductive infrastructure profitable. Last year mail accounted for less than a third of revenues, which grew 14% over 2004, to 19.5 billion USD.
Net profits jumped too, by 19%, reaching 413 million USD. “Fifteen percent of our revenues are from services that didn’t exist three years ago,” says CEO Massimo Sarmi.
Read MoreRoyal Mail is launching the UK’s largest ever mail-out to reach every UK address and provide customers with information on its new pricing system that will come into effect on 21 August 2006.
The nationwide door drop will explain how the cost of sending mail will soon take into account the size, thickness and weight of items and how to prepare for the changes. Previously mail has only been priced by weight.
The size guide leaflets will be delivered to UK addresses in the two weeks beginning from 31 July.
Royal Mail is rolling out a 10 million GBP marketing and advertising campaign to communicate the changes and ensure every consumer and business across the country is prepared for launch day on 21 August.
The communications programme includes extensive TV, radio and print advertising. The TV campaign has been on air from 10 July. The multi-media campaign has been designed to inform and remind customers of the changes.
Read MoreThe pounds 3bn government bailout of Royal Mail has been delayed until at least the autumn because ministers cannot decide whether to proceed with a sale of shares in the organisation to its 195,000 employees.
Allan Leighton, the chairman of Royal Mail, had hoped to gain approval before Parliament rises for the summer recess next week for a scheme to hand 20 per cent of the company to its workforce. This would result in an award of free shares worth GB pounds 5,000 for each employee.
Despite support in principle for the idea at ministerial level, the Government has put off a decision until towards the end of the year. Without approval for the employee share scheme, the other elements of the Royal Mail refinancing announced in May by the Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling cannot proceed either.
Read Moresummary of 100 e-retail / merchants web sites for delivery information
Read MoreThe Swedish Crawford Group, one of the world’s largest manufacturers and suppliers of industrial doors and loading bay equipment being the market leader in Europe, has signed a five year contract for distribution, warehousing and logistics services with DHL.
The new contract, which has a term of five years, includes a whole range of services comprising delivery to end customers in all European contries, worldwide distribution of parts, intercompany traffic between Sweden, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands to handle and stock control at these locations.
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