Tag: Europe

TNT Post wins Emap magazine business

Posted by | Aug 17, 2007 | |

Emap has handed its magazine postal account to TNT Post, marking the Royal Mail rival’s first win in the sector.

The 12-month contract will involve handling up to six million items across its consumer and business-to-business titles using TNT’s Premier service, which offers a two-day definite service and is then delivered to homes by Royal Mail.

Emap group circulation controller Ian Phillips said TNT’s offer on price and service would deliver significant cost benefits. “Subscription copies account for a significant proportion of our copy sales and so our postal partner is an integral part of our service,” he added. “We have also been impressed by the plans that TNT Post has in place for development and expansion of its UK services.”

TNT secured the deal following an eight-week trial. It also handles postal services for BT, Centrica, Sainsbury’s, Next, JD Williams, Lloyds TSB, HBOS and Barclays.

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Descartes acquires Global Freight Exchange

Posted by | Aug 17, 2007 | |

Descartes Systems Group, a global on-demand software-as-a-service (SaaS) logistics solutions provider, has acquired Global Freight Exchange Limited (GF-X), a global leader for electronic freight booking in the air cargo industry. The acquisition of U.K.-based GF-X adds electronic air freight booking capability to Descartes’ Global Logistics Network (GLN), creating a global network capable of managing the entire air cargo shipment lifecycle.

GF-X’s offering includes a comprehensive, on-line cargo reservation system where air carriers and freight forwarders can complete electronic air cargo bookings. Many of the world’s leading carriers and forwarders use GF-X’s products in major airfreight markets worldwide, including American Airlines, Air France, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, DHL, Kuhne + Nagel, Lufthansa, and Panalpina. In support of Descartes’ acquisition of GF-X, several key air cargo carriers and freight forwarders have extended their customer commitments to use GF-X’s products and services.

The purchase price for this acquisition included approximately USD 5.4 million in cash; approximately 0.5 million Descartes common shares that were issued to strategic airlines and freight forwarders, each of whom agreed to maintain their investment in Descartes for a minimum period ranging between 11 and 18 months; and up to an additional USD 5.2 million in cash if certain sales and other performance targets are met by GF-X over the next 4 years. In addition, Descartes anticipates that the final purchase price will include transaction and integration costs incurred in connection with the acquisition and an adjustment for net working capital.

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Royal Mail fears GBP 350M strike fine

Posted by | Aug 16, 2007 | |

Royal Mail could face a GBP 350million fine after the recent strikes left services in turmoil.

The warning came as some workers voted for fresh action in a pay and modernization row and simmering disputes threatened to spark wildcat walkouts.

A memo to managers says the strikes “cost us dearly. Our quality of service has been ruined.

“We will miss all targets this year and could be fined up to GBP 350million unless we can convince Postcomm not to apply it”.

“Our relationship with customers is damaged and many are moving away altogether.” The Communication Workers’ Union staged two 24-hour national strikes.

It suspended more action for fresh talks. But up to 5,000 posties in South London have voted to strike on August 24 and 28.

Staff at offices including Streatham and Watford will be balloted after pay was docked. Royal Mail refused to comment.

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Experian says 80 pct of shoppers use hard-copy catalogues before going online

Posted by | Aug 16, 2007 | |

Experian’s poll of more than 1,500 British consumers found that seven out of 10 have shopped from home in the past year. Of those, 80 pct found the product they wanted in a catalogue and then went online to order it.
Major factors fuelling “flick to click” behaviour are time-poor, cash-rich consumers using online shopping for convenience (63 pct) and to get access to high quality goods (37 pct), Experian said.
The most active markets in the past year were home goods and furnishings, which quintupled, and men’s fashion, which more than trebled.

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Royal Mail posts first loss in six years

Posted by | Aug 15, 2007 | |

Royal Mail slipped into the red for the first time in six years on its first and second- class and bulk business mail, incurring an operating loss of GBP 12m last year after a profit of GBP 197m in 2005-06.

Royal Mail’s operating costs were up GBP 181m at GBP 5.97 bn, despite shedding 6,300 jobs. The postal operator is likely to use the figures, which were submitted to Postcomm, the regulator last month, to press home its demand for an easing of price controls.

In its report, Royal Mail argued that it was suffering from a shrinking market as competition intensified and customers sought cheaper products that had not been anticipated by the regulator when it set its last price regime only 15 months ago.

The company is making an average loss of 5.6 p on each stamped item, amounting to GBP 185m for the year. It also lost GBP 61m on its bulk business mailing services. Its doorstep deliveries on behalf of other bulk mail operators that collect and sort the mail themselves doubled to over 2.4bn items under the new competitive regime introduced in 2006.

Royal Mail’s results also show that it made a slight profit, of GBP 27 m, on those services covered by its universal service obligation. This undermines the argument put forward by some of the company’s supporters that it is hamstrung by its duty to deliver mail to every address in the country at a standard rate.

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