HMV is planning to roll out a store-to-door home delivery service to give shoppers in smaller stores access to its full range. The entertainment retailer has piloted the service in 20 outlets, but will expand the operation across its estate from August. The news is part of HMV’s fight-back strategy as it attempts to become a major multi-channel retailer and reverse its sales decline.
Read MoreThe Disney Store Ltd has awarded TNT Logistics its UK distribution contract – and TNT is utilising vehicles assigned to another customer to benefit both of its clients. The TNT liveried vehicles are used to deliver Nissan Renault spare parts to 450 dealerships throughout the UK at night, and then part of the fleet is used to deliver merchandise to the 59 Disney stores in the UK during the day.
“Both clients are based at Magna Park in the Midlands and by maximising the use of the vehicles, we are reducing costs for everyone,” says Rob McWhirter, Managing Director Business Development, TNT Logistics UK Ltd.
The German government has revealed that the letter monopoly of Deutsche Post, the German postal service operator, will end on 1 January 2008, irrespective of developments in other EU member states.
Read MoreSpanish state-run postal services provider Sociedad Estatal Correos y Telegrafos SA (Correos) posted an all-time high 177.3 mln euro (USD226.4 mln) net profit in 2005, up 119.5 pct year-on-year, the company said on May 18, 2006. Correos operating profit stood at 180.3 mln euro (USD230.2 mln), up 21.1 pct. The company’s operating revenue rose by 5.3 pct to 2.104 bln euro (USD2.687 bln), boosted by a 0.8 pct increase in the number of deliveries to 5.4 million. Correos reported four times higher revenue from credit cards and online payments. The company’s express delivery unit Chronoexpres narrowed its loss by 70 pct to 21 mln euro (USD26.8 mln).
Read MoreWhy does Royal Mail want government finance?To cope with competition in postal services where it lost its monopoly in January. It needs to invest up to Pounds 2bn in modern sorting equipment and needs government help to avoid closing loss-making post offices. On top of that, it has to pay off its Pounds 5.6bn pension deficit without putting up prices so much that it loses business to competitors.Aren’t stamp prices rising to provide the cash?Yes. Postcomm, the regulator, has agreed to higher stamp prices over the next four years that should provide enough to invest in new equipment. The rises should also allow the pension deficit to be paid off over 17 years. But a lot could happen in 17 years – especially if Royal Mail loses a lot of business.
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