Qatar’s General Postal Corporation (Q-Post) yesterday signed a QR22m agreement with Germany’s industrial giant Siemens for the installation of a state-of-the-art electronic mail sorting system. The two-piece system is expected to be commissioned by June 2006, in time for the Asian Games that will be hosted by Doha, the Q-Post Chairman, Ali Mohammad Al Ali, said.
Read MoreDeutsche Post World Net AG’s DHL unit will invest 35 mln eur in a new logistics centre in order to expedite shipments for Home Shopping Europe 24 (HSE24) under a new long-term agreement starting in 2006.
The new centre will employ 250 people, Deutsche Post said.
Read MoreRoyal Mail has announced that from 1 January 2005 it will refuse to accept under the terms and conditions of the UPU Acts, any items of mail received from ETOE’s, international offices of exchange operated by a national postal administrations but located in another country. Over the last few years an increasing number of ETOEs have been established for both operational and commercial reasons, in some cases however, they have been established in unindustrialised countries by industrialised countries to take advantage of the lower terminal dues charged to unindustrialised countries. At the Universal Postal Union (UPU) Congress in Bucharest this Autumn a resolution was adopted which stated that mailings processed by ETOEs are not covered by UPU Acts. In line with this resolution Royal Mail has informed all international postal carriers that from 1 January 2005 it will refuse to accept any mail from ETOEs, under the terms and conditions of the UPU Acts, which is given to it by either conveyance companies, third party handling agents, postal administrations or any other intermediary and other intermediaries.
Read MoreGrowth in spending in direct mail lagged behind the marketing industry average over the past quarter, up by 2.1% in current prices, compared with 4.6% across the board. According to the Advertising Association, direct mail, which only includes mailouts and not doordrops nor other forms of direct marketing, rose to GBP569m. But compared with other media, it was lagging in terms of growth.
Last month, the AA reported that spending on direct mail in the UK could rise by as much as 54% over the next 10 years. Between now and 2014, the medium of direct mail is set to rise between 46% and 54%. This put it well ahead of the marketing industry as a whole.
Royal Mail yesterday asked Postcomm to prohibit the carriage of firearms in its mail service. If agreed, the ban would apply to the delivery of sporting, deactivated and replica firearms, munitions and ordnance by Royal Mail’s letter post, special and recorded delivery and standard parcels services. Parcelforce would continue to carry firearms, as would other parcel companies. Postcomm began consulting on the request today. While it is lawful to send these items by the post at present, Royal Mail claims that despite their legal status, the sending of them by the standard post causes disruption to their services. Banning firearms would reduce this. At present, every time a firearm is found, Royal Mail’s operations are halted as police have to be alerted. Prohibiting firearms should mean less disruption. Any firearms found would be handed over to the police who would return lawful firearms to their owners.
Read More
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.
