Tag: UK

Doors open on new jobs at TNT's GBP 3m Swansea depot

Posted by | Nov 15, 2007 | |

TNT has established a dynamic presence in South Wales in the shape of a new GBP 3 million depot facility in Swansea.

The state-of-the-art 36 loading bay facility operates in tandem with the existing depot at nearby Llantrisant – giving Wales two fully integrated TNT depots – offering local, national and international express delivery services.

First Minister Rhodri Morgan said: “This state of the art £3 million facility is another example of how Wales is attracting internationally renowned businesses. The speed at which Swansea’s commercial sector is growing is remarkable and the fact that the UK’s biggest courier operator has decided to make this investment to serve this growing market better is a massive testament to that growth

“Freight logistics is a vital sector in Wales – accounting for around 6 per cent of employment and contributing GBP 2.5 billion to the Welsh economy.

“We also have to recognise that freight transport has a huge environmental impact in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. The Assembly Government is keen to help road freight operators meet this key challenge. That is why our Wales Freight Best Practice programme aims to reduce carbon emissions – and help Welsh road freight operators improve their operational efficiency.”

Employing up to 65 people – including more than half-a-dozen new positions – the new facility, equipped with all the latest mechanical handling technology, is located just three miles away from the previous ‘satellite’ depot on the Garngoch Industrial Estate.

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TNT (UK) blowing up book delivery deal

Posted by | Nov 15, 2007 | |

TNT has secured its first major venture into the wholesale book market by winning a distribution deal with the UK’s largest book wholesaler.

The three-year contract between TNT Express Services and Gardners Books will see the former collect and deliver about 13,000 cartons of books a week.

TNT, which employs 2,200 at its UK headquarters in Atherstone, will transport the books from Gardners headquarters in Eastbourne to book stores in England, Scotland and Wales.

The deal is part of a growing number in Dutch-owned TNT’s new Media and Entertainment division. Danny Geach, general manager, TNT Media and Entertainment, said: ‘Gardners is a long-standing and highly influential player in the independent book wholesaler market and we are delighted to have been chosen to help them further strengthen their supply chain.

‘We will be utilising our widespread expertise and knowledge to ensure the supply to retailers is the quickest and most efficient it could possibly be. It’s nice to know that we’ll be playing a small part in making sure the latest blockbuster novels, celebrity biographies and thousands of fiction and non-fiction titles are in stock as soon as they’re available.’

David Brewster, Customer Care Manager at Gardners Books, said: ‘All customers who at present get a Parcelforce delivery will be switched to TNT Express.’

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Business Post strikes new blow to Royal Mail with demand for split

Posted by | Nov 15, 2007 | |

One of Royal Mail’s rivals is to petition the Government to break up the state-owned postal group, in an escalation of pressure for change from its competitors.

Business Post made the call as sales at its mail division, which competes with Royal Mail, rose 59 per cent. The company argues that last month’s Royal Mail strikes have made more people aware that there is a competitive postal market.

Guy Buswell, Business Post’s chief executive, is to make a formal request to the Department for Business for Royal Mail’s network to be separated from its sales operation in January. By then it intends to produce a detailed paper with outside consultants.

Mr Buswell said: “The Government must be wondering what to do with Royal Mail. If the network were separated from sales, it would end the questions of what is Royal Mail’s future. We want to help start the debate.”

The call for change will come as the term of Allan Leighton as chairman draws to a close. The Government could use the change to make substantial changes. Rivals want the business to be split so that there is no conflict of interest between Royal Mail’s sales operation – their competitor – and its network, which they have to use for the final mile of the delivery of post.

The postal regulator is considering the implications but has no powers to order a split. Royal Mail may offer to present separate sets of accounts, but that is unlikely to satisfy its rivals.

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Post Office (UK) to launch new Christmas Club

Posted by | Nov 15, 2007 | |

The Post Office today announced plans to launch a new Christmas Club offering customers a secure and convenient way to save for Christmas 2008, with additional membership rewards that will increase their spending power.

The Post Office Christmas Club will fill a gap identified by HM Treasury’s Review of Christmas Saving Schemes by Brian Pomeroy, Chairman of the Financial Inclusion Taskforce, in March this year carried out in the wake of the Farepak collapse.

All funds deposited in the Post Office Christmas Club will be governed by strict E-money regulations and held in a protected account under the control of Bank of Ireland. The funds will only be accessible to Club members.

The scheme will be available at all Post Office branches from January 2008. Customers will be issued with a Christmas Club card which they can use to make deposits over the counter. The minimum single deposit will be GBP 5, and the maximum individual payment GBP 500, up to a total of GBP 1,000 savings per card per annum.

Funds will be locked away until 1 November 2008, when the Christmas Club card can be used as a pre-paid debit card with retailers signed up to the scheme or exchanged for gift vouchers at Post Office branches.* The Post Office has negotiated partnerships with around 200 retailers so far, covering grocery, wine merchants, fashion, travel and leisure, health and beauty companies. Top names include Argos, Boots, Debenhams, Halfords, House of Fraser, Peacocks, Sainsbury’s, Thorntons, Woolworths and WHSmith.

Christmas Club members will be able to benefit from further rewards as the Post Office negotiates discounts and bonuses with retailers. These deals will be announced from January and throughout 2008, and will provide significant benefits compared to current rates available from High Street savings accounts.

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Business Post Group: Interim Results 2007/08 (Unaudited)

Posted by | Nov 14, 2007 | |

Highlights

– Group revenues up 9 pct to GBP 167 m (2006: GBP 153m)
– Group revenues excluding Federal Express up 15pct
– UK Mail Revenues up 59 pct to GBP 60m (2006: GBP 37m)
– Profit before tax (before exceptionals) up 50 pct to GBP 4.8m (2006: GBP 3.2m)
– Profit before tax up 182 pct to GBP 4.8m (2006: GBP 1.7m)
– Interim dividend of 6.4p per share (2006: 6.4p)

Guy Buswell, Chief Executive said:

“We have seen a significantly improved Group performance compared to a year ago, with like-for-like revenue growth of 15pct and profit before tax (before exceptionals) up 50pct. This has been driven primarily by further very strong growth in UK Mail, good performances in the business-to-business segment, which makes up 80pct of our parcels business, and in our pallets business. In UK Mail we continue to win significant new business, including Abbey, HBOS, and Virgin Media.

We are making good progress in changing and improving the way in which we both market and operate. Central to this is the greater integration of our businesses – particularly mail, parcels and courier – and the introduction of new products and services. The advancements we are making bode well for the future.”

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