Tag: UK

Royal Mail hits TV screens with new campaign (UK)

Posted by | Sep 30, 2008 | |

Royal Mail is to change the focus of its marketing and communications from the consumer sector toward businesses, partly to remind big companies that it still exists, but, more significantly, to position the brand as the postal operator of choice for small and medium-sized firms.
This repositioning will begin this month with a ‘Partners for Growth’ campaign targeting the UK’s 4.3m SMEs. An above-the-line push, by ad agency Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, will comprise TV, press, direct and digital activity.
The drive will direct prospective customers to a 15-step online questionnaire that asks respondents about their business needs. Within two hours, those who have completed the survey will receive a personalised ‘growth pack’ containing information about how Royal Mail can help them. The idea is to publicise some of the brand’s lesser-known business services, including data provision and media consultancy.

Read More

Escher Group to Showcase New Technologies

Posted by | Sep 30, 2008 | |

Escher Group, Ltd., will be unveiling its latest offerings RiposteTrEX™, RiposteSaaS™, RiposteMCM™, and RTelemetry™ at this year’s Post-Expo in London. These new offerings address the multi-faceted role of the post in the modern electronic age.
RiposteTrEX™ is a business electronic mail system that replaces paper-based business mailings through the postal system by providing collection, clearance and delivery options through a closed access, secure messaging system that ensures electronic delivery of intact messages. RiposteTrEX is the next generation of the Riposte® messaging technology that has underpinned post office counter networks worldwide since 1993.
RiposteSaaS™ provides a cost-effective and flexible method for post offices to acquire the power of RiposteEssential™, Escher’s integrated POS (point-of-sale) solution. RiposteSaaS includes a set of modular applications supporting a broad range of retail and postal transactions that streamline business processes and provide the potential for increased revenue. RiposteSaas enables the rapid deployment of the modules where RiposteEssential is hosted as a service and provided to customers “on-demand”.
RiposteMCM™ enables post office customers to directly access, via the web, services that would otherwise require a visit to a post office outlet. These customers are able to log on to their account and view their available credit (supporting both a top-up and/or credit account model). They would then be able to perform a variety of postal transactions and print mailing labels and other supporting documentation right from their computer.

Read More

Postwatch Warns Of Turbulent Times Ahead For UK Postal Industry

Posted by | Sep 25, 2008 | |

Postwatch, the UK watchdog for postal services, is to be disbanded, the majority of staff being made redundant. In just six days time, the work of postwatch is to be scaled-down and merged with energy watch and the National Consumer Council to form ‘Consumer Focus’.

Chair of Postwatch, Millie Banerjee, has written to Pat McFadden, the Minister responsible for the postal industry, giving her views on the challenging and turbulent times faced by the key players in the UK postal industry but was only cautiously optimistic that with the loss of regional representation, customers would be adequately supported and that there were likely to be “interesting and turbulent times ahead”.

Alongside the letter was a copy of Postwatch’s final publication, ‘Post, present and future’. The book gives a brief account of the postal scene as seen from Postwatch during its seven years of operation and some thoughts on the future and the challenges ahead. In her forward to the book, Millie listed the issues (the pension fund deficit, the cost of providing the universal postal service, declining mail volumes, poor industrial relations and the need for support for the post office network) that have come to dominate the postal sector.

She said she hoped that the forthcoming review of postal services would lead to speedy and positive action from the industry and the Government but from October 1st, championing the cause of postal customers would be shared among a number of organisations, notably Consumer Focus, Consumer Direct, Royal Mail, Post Office Limited and Postcomm.

Read More

Co-op reveals strong food sales results

Posted by | Sep 24, 2008 | |

The Co-operative Group (Co-op) has posted record results for the first half of the year, including a 43.5 pct rise in sales to GBP 2.4bn at its grocery business.

It said that like-for-like first half sales jumped by 5 pct, as the market overall saw sales rise by 4.6 pct. Trading profit at its food arm jumped 67.7 pct.

Such success occurred, the Co-op said, thanks to the expansion of its range and improvements to existing outlets.

Chief executive at the retailer Peter Marks remarked that this has been an “exciting” time and the food side of the business is “rejuvenated”.

And he said the company’s position as a community retailer can be consolidated following the agreement to purchase Somerfield.

But Marks added that the remainder of the year is likely to be very competitive as the credit crunch – along with inflation pressures – continue to make the market tough.

Total profit at the Co-op, including its pharmacies, funeral service and travel section, stood at GBP 197.6m (before payments to members).

Various moves have been made by the organisation in recent times, such as the introduction of a Yorkshire range, the creation of mini-banks in stores and a sustainable fish sourcing policy.

Read More

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

P&P Poll

Loading

What's the future of the postal USO?

Thank you for voting
You have already voted on this poll!
Please select an option!



View ResultsHide Results

Post & Parcel Magazine


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.

Subscribe to the Magazine

 

Pin It on Pinterest