Tag: Royal Mail

Direct mail figures in Scotland

Posted by | Mar 6, 2008 | |

The modern curse of junk mail may be lifting, as figures revealed direct marketing has slumped to its lowest level this century.

According to the Royal Mail, there are now 800,000 fewer items being delivered annually than at the industry peak in 2003. However, the industry watchdog warned that while this might be welcomed by householders, it could be bad news for the postal service.

Figures from the Royal Mail still showed 4.65 billion items of direct mail dropping through doors last year – down 7.4 per cent year on year.

Trisha Dow, director of Postwatch Scotland, said the drop was “worrying” as it would cost the postal service – but the figure could be an aberration due to industrial action by Royal Mail workers last year. Postal workers went on strike over pay and conditions, leading to a major backlog of mail.

Ms Dow said: “We would say it’s worrying because it’s an element of the mail that helps balance the books. If that drops substantially – and we know there seems to be a growth in electronic marketing – then it’s difficult to say we would be glad of that.

According to the advertising industry, the figures mean firms are getting better at targeting direct mail so that householders only get the type of offers in which they are interested. New methods of getting the message out – such as texts and e-mails – are also taking away some of the direct-mail business.

Robert Keich, a spokesman for industry body the Direct Marketing Agency, said: “There is a much greater use of targeting and precision and taking out ‘gone always’ – people who have left the household.

For its part, Royal Mail believes the internet is creating the biggest dent in its business. Fraser Chisholm, head of media, said: “The internet is a significant threat to direct mail in its current form but it’s a fantastic opportunity for direct mail to re-position itself.”

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Postcomm hosts 'Post Theatre' at The IDMF 08

Posted by | Mar 4, 2008 | |

Helping the environment, electronic substitution, the innovation of hybrid mail and the way that Postcomm, the regulator for postal services, sees the future of the postal market, will be discussed at a series of seminars in London.

The three days of seminars make up a ‘Post Theatre’ that Postcomm is hosting at this year’s International Direct Marketing Fair which opens from 29 April – 1 May at Earls Court 2, London.

The liberalisation of the UK postal market has brought about significant changes in the way business postal services are handled. But in parallel with liberalisation, other influences have developed, such as the rise in electronic communication and concerns about the environment.

In a Postcomm survey of business customers in 2007, one in five said they had explored alternatives to mail and had moved some of their mail to other media in the previous 12 months.

While electronic communication has led to substitution, digital technology provides further opportunities for innovation in the mails market. Consumer spending on online shopping grew 50 pct last year and all mail operators are seeking innovative ways to fulfil these orders. Hybrid mail is now available: this is an “electronic-to-physical” service which allows businesses and individuals to send letters electronically from personal computers directly to a print facility near its destination where it is printed, enveloped and delivered locally.

As well as reducing staff time and the need for paper, envelopes and franking machines for the sender, hybrid mail has a reduced carbon footprint compared with traditional delivery networks because it cuts out the need to carry mail over a long distance. Many of the major companies offering hybrid systems will have speakers at the seminar.

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GLS inaugurated a new hub in France

Posted by | Mar 4, 2008 | |

GLS opened its EUR 4,5 million parcels distribution hub at Roquemaure, near Avignon, South-East France, to finalise its transport plan for southern France. With the new hub, the company expects to optimize its service quality to better cope with the rising parcel volumes in the region.

Built on a surface of 30,000 sqm, the new 4,000 sqm facility is equipped with the latest technology and has the capacity to sort 45,000 parcels a day. The site has 100 quays, 40 for HGVs and 60 for smaller vehicles. It will serve as a hub and as an agency at the same time thanks to a special delivery zone differentiating the two parties and assuring the safety of the parcels.

The new Roquemaure hub will employ 70 local workers. Following the opening of GLS’s hub in Uzerche in January 2007, this is the final part of the EUR 100 million that GLS invested in Europe during 2006-2007 to further expand its network.

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International Direct Marketing Fair

Posted by | Mar 4, 2008 | |

Postcomm is to hold a Post Theatre at this year International Direct Marketing Fair.

With one in five business customers exploring alternatives to mail, many have already moved their mail to other media and Postcomm intends to make the most of the event.

The International Direct Marketing Fair, held at Earls Court, is where strategy makers and decision takers responsible for marketing, direct marketing, data, digital, CRM and research come to find new and more innovative ways to generate a better response to their direct marketing campaigns.

Currently the UKs largest attended exhibition for the direct marketing industry, focus areas will include; helping the environment, electronic substitution, the innovation of hybrid mail and the way that Postcomm, the regulator for postal services, sees the future of the postal market, will be discussed at a series of seminars in London.

The three days of seminars make up a Post Theatre that Postcomm is hosting at this years International Direct Marketing Fair which opens from 29 April 1 May at Earls Court 2, London. Entrance is free.

The liberalisation of the UK postal market has brought about significant changes in the way business postal services are handled. But in parallel with liberalisation, other influences have developed, such as the rise in electronic communication and concerns about the environment.

While electronic communication has led to substitution, digital technology provides further opportunities for innovation in the mails market. Consumer spending on online shopping grew 50 pct last year and all mail operators are seeking innovative ways to fulfill these orders. Hybrid mail is now available: this is an electronic-to-physical service which allows businesses and individuals to send letters electronically from personal computers directly to a print facility near its destination where it is printed, enveloped and delivered locally.

As well as reducing staff time and the need for paper, envelopes and franking machines for the sender, hybrid mail has a reduced carbon footprint compared with traditional delivery networks because it cuts out the need to carry mail over a long distance. Many of the major companies offering hybrid systems will have speakers at the seminar.

Companies entering the liberalised postal market initially targeted large customers, but now we are seeing more special services being offered to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Royal Mail will be explaining its special services aimed at SMEs.

Other topics include choosing the right mail provider, the future of direct marketing, and the views of customers.

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New strike threat is looming for Royal Mail

Posted by | Mar 3, 2008 | |

Royal Mail faces a fresh wave of industrial action, only months after the end of one of the biggest strikes to hit the postal service in years.

The Times has learnt that unions have rejected the postal group’s plan to overhaul its pensions scheme and are poised to ballot nearly 150,000 members over whether they back the plan or not. Last year, postal services were crippled by several days of national strikes in a long-running dispute over pay and working practices.

Royal Mail said a year ago that it intended to close its final-salary scheme to new employees and to raise the retirement age from 60 to 65. It then proposed ending the final-salary scheme for all employees and creating a career average plan, which would be linked to the retail prices index.

When last year’s dispute over pay was settled, Royal Mail agreed to continue talks with the unions over pensions, but they have failed to make progress after nearly four months.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents postal workers, and Unite, which represents postal managers, will start to ballot their members shortly. If, as officials believe, the pension plans are rejected in the ballots, a subsequent strike vote would be virtually certain. The unions are recommending rejection of Royal Mail’s plans.

The threat of fresh strike action comes as Royal Mail is under increasing attack over the shutting of 2,500 post offices. The closures, which are being rolled out regionally, have hit London, sparking growing complaints that profitable, popular offices are being shut. There are also complaints over the consultation period, which lasts only six weeks.

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