Tag: France

Chronopost enhances international express and B2C pick-up services

Posted by | Oct 8, 2008 | |

Chronopost has improved its international shipping service by broadening its product features and is offering earlier collection times at retail locations for domestic B2C shipments.

Chronopost has expanded its “Prêt-à-Expédier” product, which since March has provided next-day delivery before 13:00 within France and international delivery of envelopes up to 500g. Customers can now also ship bubble envelopes of up to 2 kg and small boxes of up to 6 kg to 230 countries and regions worldwide. Chronopost has split international destinations into two zones: EU and Rest of World. Customers can buy the packaging and ship their goods from Chronopost agencies and post offices for rates starting at EUR 36.79.

Separately, French B2C customers can now collect their parcels half a day earlier from the 3,000 Chrono Relais service points across the country. Shipments are available for pick-up the next day before 13:00 compared to the previous option of before 17.00. .

This new delivery option will allow Chronopost to continue establishing partnerships with e-businesses but also target new markets in industry, banking or even maintenance sectors by offering value-added services such as product exchange.

Read More

DHL expands French express network with new Lille sorting centre

Posted by | Oct 7, 2008 | |

DHL Express France has opened a new centre for sorting, distribution and customs clearance in Lille-Fretin, northern France, to strengthen its air express network in the country.

The new state-of-the-art EUR 1 million facility is part of the company’s large-scale investment in its European network now interconnected through its international hub at Leipzig/Halle, Germany, DHL France said.

Three months of construction work were needed to put the sorting centre into operation including its sorting chain and the air freight security system. The 2,700 sqm facility has sorting capacity of up to 600 parcels an hour. In total, there are about 1,900 import and 1,500 export shipments handled daily at Fretin by 60 employees working at the site. DHL Express employs a total of 73 people in the area, including staff at the two depots at Calais and Amiens.

Security is ensured by X-ray tunnels to control the outbound shipments immediately and on-site. This equipment is in line with the air cargo security regulations of the French civil aviation authority DGAC.

Read More

Parcelnet links up with Hermes

Posted by | Oct 7, 2008 | |

“We want to be part of the European network as part of Hermes,” Parcelnet’s Managing Director Carole Woodhead said. German-based Hermes is building up a European network with sister companies Parcelnet, Mondial Relay (France) and Porta a Porta (Italy) as well as its subsidiary in Austria.

Parcelnet is currently testing cross-border deliveries from Britain to Germany for TV shopping company QVC, Woodhead said. “More British companies are interested in Europe, and there are European customers with UK shipments,” she commented. The home delivery firm, which has so far used other European carriers for its cross-border shipments, is also in talks with France’s Mondial Relay over cooperation. “In future we want a common service offer,” she added.

Parcelnet currently handles about 110 million parcels a year, has revenues of over GBP 200 million (EUR 257 million) and “is a profitable company”, Woodhead stressed.

Read More

La Poste to save petrol by driving slowly

Posted by | Oct 3, 2008 | |

The French national postal service is offering staff training in “eco-driving”. The idea: to save up to 20 pct in fuel costs by driving at a regular pace and avoiding sudden accelerations or brutal braking.

Among the new rules that trainees will have to follow are driving in fourth gear in the city and cutting the engine at stops of more than 12 seconds.

These simple rules can help save energy but also cut carbon emissions. With the help of such training programs, the company hopes to cut its carbon emissions by 10,000 cubic tons by 2009.

Read More

French government rules out La Poste privatisation but unions express doubts

Posted by | Oct 2, 2008 | |

French Prime Minister François Fillon ruled out the possibility of La Poste’s privatisation in an interview with the French newspaper Les Echos.

“I am convinced that La Poste will need financial resources to develop further if it doesn’t want to see other European companies take its place. This will not happen through privatisation,” Fillon told the newspaper in an interview. To ensure the financing of La Poste, Fillon considers among other options the possibility of the French savings bank “la Caisse des depôts” becoming a strategic partner of La Poste.

The French postal unions including CGT, Sud-PTT, FO, CFDT and CFTC, which took nationwide strike action last week against government plans to change the legal status of the public postal operator, expressed their doubts about Fillon’s statement.

In late August, La Poste unveiled plans to restructure into a limited company in 2010 and to float a minority holding on the stock exchange in 2011 in order to raise EUR 2.5 – EUR 3.5 billion for growth, including acquisitions. French media have referred to a possible IPO involving a 10-20 pct stake. La Poste had already signed a four-year public service contract with the French government in July, covering commitments to mail deliveries six days a week and mail delivery quality targets, and the maintenance of 17,000 postal service points across France.

Read More

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

P&P Poll

Loading

What's the future of the postal USO?

Thank you for voting
You have already voted on this poll!
Please select an option!



View ResultsHide Results

Post & Parcel Magazine


Post & Parcel Magazine is our print publication, released 3 times a year. Packed with original content and thought-provoking features, Post & Parcel Magazine is a must-read for those who want the inside track on the industry.

Subscribe to the Magazine

 

Pin It on Pinterest