European Postal Perspective: Facing the challenge from low-cost posts
European Postal Perspective: Facing the challenge from low-cost posts
Read MoreTag: Switzerland
Fund transfers for Mongolians get faster
Mongolians workers in Korea can now send money to their home country much faster than before.
The Korea Post launched Monday (Jan.7) the so-called Eurogiro service with Mongolia, which enables people in Korea to wire money to Mongolia within three to five days using an electronic money transfer system.
Eurogiro is a fast and cost-effective electronic transaction system that easily allows cross-border transfers of funds.
Users can directly send money to the recipient’s home address through the system or deposit money into an account issued by a postal office to transfer funds.
Previously wiring money to Mongolia from Korea had taken much longer, because users first had to get a certificate of money exchange from Mongolia and then send money by mail.
With the launch of the service, Mongolia is the third country to use Eurogiro with Korea, following Japan and Switzerland. The Korea Post plans to further expand the number of countries to use the service with.
60 countries are members of the Eurogiro network.
Read MoreSwiss Post expects record profits for 2007
Swiss Post has recorded its highest profit ever for the financial year 2007 and expects a further increase this year, according to CEO Ulrich.
The net profit for last year would amount to more than CHF 900 million (EUR 549.34 million), surpassing the record profit of CHF 837 million (EUR 510.88) in 2006, he told the Swiss newspaper “Sonntag” in an interview. The exact figure is not available yet.
This record profit was due to booming business activities, especially in the mail and finance sectors, he pointed out. The parcel and express sectors also recorded positive results as well as international business activities, which amounted to 18% of turnover.
Gygi said he expects the results to improve further if Swiss Post can maintain its mail monopoly up to 100 grams until 2011.
In addition, Gygi announced his retirement in 2009. He took up the post as Swiss Post CEO in mid-2000 and initially planned to stay in the position for eight years. But Gygi said he had decided to wait until the opening of the new mail centres during 2009 in which Swiss Post has invested CHF 1.3 billion (EUR 791.89 million).
Read MoreGLS France: strong growth in export volumes
GLS France recorded a 25 pct growth in export shipments sent to Europe last year further strengthening its cross-border structures and enhancing European interchange.
From Paris and regions bordering on Germany, export volumes rose by 46 pct compared to previous year, the parcels firm said in a statement. It did not release any total figures for volumes or revenues.
GLS said the export parcels are mainly destined for countries bordering on France like Germany, Belgium and Italy. The majority of parcels are exported to Germany (23 pct), Belgium (20 pct), Italy (1 pct), UK (13 pct) and Spain (11 pct).
GLS France said it expected this growth to continue and would continue to optimise its tools and processes to boost this development. For example, in April 2007 it established a direct connection ensuring 24-hour delivery from Paris to Belgium.
Read MoreHermes Logistik eyes acquisition in Spain
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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