Tag: Hermes Logistik

Hermes Logistik introduces diesel surcharge

Posted by | Aug 26, 2008 | |

Hermes Logistik has introduced a diesel surcharge in response to the sharp rise in fuel costs in recent months.

As of August 18, the company is imposing a surcharge of EUR 0.20 for all domestic parcels and of EUR 0.40 for all parcels sent to European destinations. The surcharge is shown separately on all invoices.

Hermes said in a notice on its website that it had decided to follow competitors by introducing a surcharge since it could no longer absorb the higher fuel costs despite “many savings measures and the use of modern vehicles”.

German newspaper Handelsblatt reported that with the surcharge Hermes was now more expensive that DHL for consumer parcels. The cheapest Hermes parcel, including the surcharge, now costs EUR 4.10 while DHL charges EUR 3.90. A DHL spokesman told the newspaper that the German parcel market leader has no plans to introduce a diesel surcharge.

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Hermes Logistik eyes Europe and mulls over mail

Posted by | Mar 13, 2008 | |

Hermes Logistik, the leading German B2C challenger to DHL, plans to press ahead with European expansion this year and is considering whether to enter the domestic mail market should the minimum postal wage be vetoed.

The parcels carrier, a subsidiary of mail-order giant Otto Group, said it increased German revenues by 9% to EUR 1,041 million in 2007. Profit figures were not disclosed. Volumes grew to a new record with a 6% rise to 216 million parcels from business customers and a 21% increase to 28.5 million parcels from private customers.

Hermes has launched new products, including a furniture and large goods transport service, alongside its core parcels delivery service with the aim of growing into Germany’s largest consumer logistics provider after DHL.

After announcing last December that it had put on ice plans to enter the mail market in cooperation with TNT Post, Hermes said the March 7 decision by the Berlin administrative court against the minimum postal wage opened up a new perspective. “We will follow developments very closely and review whether the new situation is reliable enough to give competition in the postal market a truly fair chance,” commented managing director Hanjo Schneider.

In Austria, where it entered the market in mid-2007, Hermes now claims a market share of 38% for B2C parcels. It has gained European Commission approval to take a 30% stake in Italian B2C firm Porta a Porta by buying out Swiss Post. Through close cooperation with sister companies Parcelnet (UK) and Mondial Relay (France), Hermes Logistik has a group-wide market share of 22% of the estimated EUR 1.5 billion European private parcels market.

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Hermes introduces international parcel size XS

Posted by | Mar 4, 2008 | |

German parcels operator Hermes Logistik has launched a new parcel category XS for parcels sent from Germany to European countries, except for Romania, Bulgaria and Greece.

With the launch of the new XS parcel, Hermes completes its international parcel categories Small, Medium and Large.

The XS parcel weighs up to 25 kg with a size no longer than 30 cm, calculated with the longest and the shortest side of the parcel.

The price for the XS parcel is EUR 8.50 for customers filling in the packing slip online, and EUR 9.50 for those completing the slip manually at the Hermes parcel shop. The prices include liability up to EUR 500.

For now, the XS parcel has been introduced to Germany only and is being tested within a period of three months.

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Hermes Logistik builds new hub in central Germany

Posted by | Feb 1, 2008 | |

Hermes Logistik started construction of its EUR 45 million new regional hub in Friedewald, Hessen, in central Germany, this week. The new depot is due to go into service in early 2009, creating up to 150 new jobs.

The 100,000 sqm facility will have capacity to sort 20,000 parcels per hour. The new location is situated close to the strategic North-South/East-West junction of the A4, A5 and A7 motorways.

Hermes is investing EUR 25 million in the sorting centre handling technology, while acquisition of the major new hub and construction of the building cost a further EUR 20 million. The Hamburg-based property developer ECE is responsible for constructing the distribution centre.

“Through the expansion of our logistics network and the startup of further Hermes distribution centres we will become even more efficient and continue to optimise the service quality of Hermes. It’s primarily our customers who will benefit from it”, Harmtut Ilek, Hermes Logistik director, who is also responsible for the hub in Friedewald, was quoted as saying.

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Hermes Logistik eyes acquisition in Spain

Posted by | Jan 4, 2008 | |

Hermes Logistik is considering an acquisition in Spain and potentially elsewhere to strengthen its European B2C network, according to the company’s management.

Managing director Hanjo Schneider told the Deutsche Verkehrs-Zeitung (DVZ) that in Spain the Otto Group subsidiary was seeking “a solution in the next 12 – 18 months”. The Spanish B2C market is currently at an early stage of development, according to experts.

Hermes currently covers five countries, representing about 85 pct of the European B2C market, through its own network, Schneider said. The UK and France are served by Otto Group subsidiaries Parcelnet and Mondial Relay, while Hermes started operations in Austria in summer 2007.

In Italy, Hermes bought a 30 pct holding in Porta a Porta, which is majority-owned by Swiss Post, in October 2007. The Swiss postal group, however, might be prepared to split off the Italian company’s parcels distribution business, and sell it to Hermes completely, whilst retaining the mail and logistics activities, the DVZ reported.

Hermes currently uses partners to deliver to other European destinations. TNT covers the Benelux area, Swiss Post covers Switzerland, and DPD is used for all other markets.

French sister company Mondial Relay last year announced plans to expand into Belgium, Spain and Portugal, while British operator Parcelnet grew with the acquisition of the Redcats courier network last spring.

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