UPU to hold e-commerce conference in Hong Kong
A UPU conference on e-commerce, being held in Hong Kong from 21-23 May, will bring together industry professionals from UPU member countries.
Read MoreTag: Hong Kong Post
Speedpost 'Next Flight Out' service launched
Hongkong Post introduced a new Speedpost service: the “Next Flight Out” (NFO) service, which offers speedy delivery to major Asian and European cities the same day at the earliest.
The “Next Flight Out” service has been jointly developed by Hongkong Post, Cathay Pacific Cargo and RPX Limited to offer customers a personified speedy courier solution for delivery of their highly time-sensitive items.
The Speedpost “Next Flight Out” service is available to designated areas including the Asian cities of Singapore, Taipei, Manila, Penang and Kuala Lumpur, and three European cities – Paris, Amsterdam and London. Customers can make postings at 10 dedicated post offices including the General Post Office and Tsim Sha Tsui Post Office, or they can choose Hongkong Post’s pick-up service for posting before the cut-off time. Items posted under “Next Flight Out”‘ will be put on the earliest flight available to ensure the shortage waiting time for conveyance.
Read MorePostal chief lifts hopes by ruling out price hikes
Hong Kong Post has no plans to increase charges.
Postmaster General Tam Wing-pong made the promise while reporting last year’s total postal volume increased 6percent, netting a profit of about HKD 400 million.
The registered airmail service recorded the highest increase – 21 percent.
But Tam estimated that both figures would shrink, though not significantly, in the coming year given economic fluctuations and fierce competition.
With soaring oil prices and international calls to increase terminal dues, Tam said there is pressure to raise postal charges, and warned that the HKD 470 million 2006-07 profit would shrink to HKD 400 million for the next period.
Tam added that Hong Kong Post will develop other revenue streams such as e-commerce.
To maintain postal volume, Hongkong Post will spend about HKD 2 million on a one-stop e-commerce platform in November when customers may buy products from recognized retailers, with the department providing postal services such as logistics and mail delivery.
Tam hopes to attract customers from all over the world to services and products that will be retailed by small and medium-sized enterprises.
Hongkong Post will also try out automatic mailing machines in certain post offices.
Hongkong Post this year distributed 31 million promotion leaflets on the Legislative Council election.
1 USD = 7.78095 HKD
Read MoreInternational Freight Industry to shift from air transport to sea and rail
Australia Post’s Managing Director, Graeme John, foresees cutbacks on flights and a shift towards sea and rail deliveries with regard to the annual meeting of the Kahala Posts Group last week.
John said that growth in international freight from consumer goods such as electronics had been managed on a “just in time” basis, with air delivery preferred to other means of transport due to its speed advantage. But that approach was no longer viable as global warming would have an enormous influence on the postal industry worldwide increasing the pressure to shift towards less environmentally-damaging modes of delivery.
The Kahala Posts Group (KPG) which is the alliance of nine national postal administrations in Australia, the United States, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Spain, France and Britain, was founded five years ago and named after a resort the members stayed at during their founding meeting in Hawaii. The postal operators have since launched an upgraded, guarantee-based international service between their respective countries and territories.
Therefore, Kahala Group focused instead on reliability of delivery. But to keep the reliability of the service, the Kahala members had to upgrade their tracking systems. It also required the creation of a “delivery calculator”, a database of eight billion postcodes that allows a customer to walk into any postal outlet, list their destination and be told a precise time window during which a parcel would be delivered, Brisbane Times further reported.
While the private couriers already offered that service and faster delivery, the Kahala members undercut their prices by 40 pct to 50 pct to stay competitive in price.
John further said that a worsening economic environment could prompt a trend to slower “deferred” delivery services.
The Kahala partnership is also moving beyond postage, with Australia Post, China Post and the US Postal Service preparing to launch a group-owned money transfer service to compete against Western Union, Brisbane Times added.
Read MoreHongkong Post launches new "iMailR service"
With the Internet creating new opportunities for cross-border trading, Hongkong Post has introduced the “Bulk Registered Air Mail service” (BRAM) since August 2005 to support the development of e-commerce. In response to market demand for efficient communications arising from booming online trade, a new “service” will be fully launched on July 14, 2008, to facilitate customs pre-declaration while providing customers with a fast, reliable and simplified way to make bulk postings.
Two value-added options – a supplementary insurance service and an online credit card payment facility – will also be introduced. The “service” will replace the BRAM service that will cease on the same day.
The new “service” helps online sellers streamline the preparation of bulk postings that require a signature on receipt of delivery. In the past, address labels had to be printed on envelopes with preprinted Hongkong Post permit insignia, with customs clearance forms and air mail labels affixed to each item. Under the new “service”, all these procedures are automated to shorten the time for mail preparation. With the aid of the Online Mailing Tool, all the required information can be printed on an all-in-one label for affixing to individual items.
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