Scarlett leaves Palletforce
Scarlett leaves Palletforce
Read MoreTag: Europe
Deutsche Post under pressure as German letter monopoly to end in 2008
Deutsche Post World Net AG’s efforts to cut costs are unlikely to offset the impact of the end of its German letter monopoly next year, as competitors are preparing their market entry, analysts said.
“Deutsche Post has always been under pressure to reduce its costs, but now more than in the past,” said Per-Ola Hellgren, an analyst at Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg.
Deutsche Post’s monopoly on letters below 50g, which account for 60 pct of its mail volume, is scheduled to end in January 2008.
“A delay to German mail liberalization now seems unlikely,” wrote analysts at Goldman Sachs in a recent note to clients. “We believe that this implies volume loss and margin erosion for Deutsche Post. Our analysis suggests a cost-cutting program is unlikely to compensate for revenue declines.” Deutsche Post expects profit losses of 10-20 pct due to mail liberalization, from 2006 earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of 2.03 bln eur.
During the first half of 2007, the mail division accounted for 55.8 pct of Deutsche Post’s EBIT.
Read MoreAzkar opens EUR 9.5m platform at La Coruña in Spain
Azkar Spanish express and freight company Azkar this week opened a new EUR 9.5 million distribution hub at La Coruña in Galicia, north-west Spain.
The mixed 17,000 sqm logistics, parcel and pallet facility is built on a 25,000 sqm plot with separate zones for logistics and transport and distribution.
The new platform, staffed by 173 employees, holds 68 docking bays and has a fleet of 97 trucks, 33 for heavy vehicles and another 64 for local pick-up and delivery.
It is equipped with modern systems of classification and automatic reading of the parcels, and 10.500 pallet slots in the logistics area, the company said.
Azkar has now invested some EUR 50 million in new facilities over the past 18 months, including other new platforms near Bilbao and Zaragoza to improve distribution across the Iberian Peninsula and connections with the rest of Europe.
Read MoreAgreement reached on minimum wages for postal workers in Germany
The German employers association of postal services said it and Ver.di trade union have agreed on a minimum wage for the industry, with postmen getting 9.80 eur an hour in western Germany, and 9.00 eur in the east.
All other workers in the sector, such as those in back-offices, will be paid 8.40 eur an hour in western Germany, and 8.00 eur per hour in the east.
The wage agreement will be effective from Oct 1, and can be cancelled on April 30, 2010, at the earliest.
Under the deal, minimum wage rates in eastern Germany will be be replaced by those applicable in western regions from Jan 1, 2010.
Deutsche Post’s main competitors TNT NV’s TNT Post and PIN Group AG are not member in the employers association of postal services and have recently set up their own group.
Read MoreTNT Express launches new online portal for German customers
TNT Express has launched a new version of its ”myTNT” online portal for small and medium-sized customers in Germany to manage their domestic and international express shipments.
The portal offers customers the opportunity to manage the entire shipping process from price enquiries, shipping orders and shipment tracking through to invoicing, TNT Express Germany said. Customers could also select options such as “receiver pays” and individual collection and delivery times. Through its integration in TNT’s operative systems, many customer processes would be speeded up and simplified.
The web-based, e-business application is designed for SMEs, and thus expands TNT Express’ portfolio of electronic shipping services, the company added. TNT Express Germany said that it had already registered a “significant” rise in online shipping in recent years, and aimed to further strengthen this trend.
Across TNT Express as a whole, more than 80,000 customers in over 60 countries use online solutions for shipping orders, the company said.
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