Tag: UK

Rival services take advantage of Royal Mail’s troubles

Posted by | Oct 19, 2007 | |

Royal Mail has announced that its service disruption is over for the moment, but for many small businesses in Bucks, the damage has already been done and confidence has been badly shaken.

With SMEs forced to make alternative arrangements for vital aspects of their day to day running, many businesses have been left wondering if they can trust the postal service anymore.

And one competing postal business has already seen a major upturn in fortune in the wake of Royal Mail’s troubles.

DX Network Services was originally set up to serve the legal community, during the industrial action of the mid to late seventies. With so many important documents to move, such as deeds, mortgage information, invoices and cheques, the legal profession was particularly sensitive to postal disruption. But now the company provides a service to a wide range of businesses.

James Greenbury, chief executive of DX Network Services, said: “As the only end-to-end competitor to the Royal Mail, we have seen a substantial increase in new customers since the first rumblings of proposed industrial action in June – in fact we took on more customers over the summer strike period than we did in the whole of 2006.

He noted that delayed postal payments could easily spell cash-flow disaster for a small business. DX’s core service is document exchange, where customers drop off and collect their mail from dedicated mailboxes at more than 4,500 exchanges across the country. At present, only commercial facilities can currently send mail, although residential addresses can accept deliveries.

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Door drops under threat from environmental issues

Posted by | Oct 19, 2007 | |

The Direct Marketing Association has warned that the door drop industry could face strict measures in response to Government and public concerns over the medium’s impact on the environment.

Speaking at a doordrop media conference organised by postal operator TNT Post, Alex Walsh, head of postal affairs and industry development at the DMA, said environmental issues were posing a significant threat to the direct marketing industry.

He added that while legislation would be too complex to set up for the doordrop industry, a door sticker initiative, in use in the Netherlands since the 1990s, could soon be a reality in the UK. The door sticker, which is also in use in France, Germany, Norway and Belgium, allows consumers to opt out of unaddressed mail completely including free newspapers, or to opt out of undressed mail but opt-in to free newspapers only.

Walsh said that serial offenders who continue to deliver unaddressed mail to those who have opted out by using the door sticker, face fines. ‘No junk mail’ stickers exist in the UK, but there is no legal penalty for those who ignore them.

A spokesperson from TNT Post in Holland said that 13 per cent of households in Holland have chosen to opt-out by using the door sticker.

Walsh also hinted at other possible measures that could be imposed on the industry, such as an eco-tax, which exists in France. Suppliers of unsolicited mail are given the choice of supporting local authority recycling schemes or paying for advertising that encourages the public to recycle.

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Royal Mail sweeps the board at payroll giving awards

Posted by | Oct 18, 2007 | |

Royal Mail Group has swept the board at the National Payroll Giving Awards 2007, winning the ‘best re-launch of an existing scheme’ category and being highly commended in the ‘best employer and charity promotion’ , ‘best promotional partnership’ and ‘best overall campaign’ categories. Royal Mail was presented with its award by the Right Honourable Jane Kennedy MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury at a prestigious event hosted at HM Treasury on 17th October. The event was introduced and compared by broadcaster and ‘money saving expert’ Martin Lewis.

Royal Mail Group Ltd has been recognized not only for its scheme but for increasing its overall participation rate by adopting an active approach to Payroll Giving. It has also succeeded in partnering with Charities Trust and Help the Hospices to carry out its Payroll Giving initiative.

The Payroll Giving Awards are designed to showcase the best Payroll Giving schemes from employers in the UK. All applications are marked against specific criteria by a panel of impartial judges; entries are restricted to those employers that have received 2007 Bronze, Silver or Gold Quality Mark Awards.

First launched in 1987, Payroll Giving enables employees to donate to any UK charity straight from their gross salary, giving immediate tax relief. Latest figures show that this year Payroll Giving has distributed almost £90 million to good causes.

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Royal Mail appoints St Ives plc as sole print supplier

Posted by | Oct 18, 2007 | |

Royal Mail today announced it had appointed St Ives plc as the sole supplier to manage all Royal Mail’s print requirements.

The four-year contract follows an extensive market research program and tendering process by Royal Mail involving the UK’s major print and print management companies.

The appointment of St Ives means that instead of a number of different companies providing the wide range of printed material which Royal Mail needs for its operations, one company – St Ives – will now be responsible for managing the procurement and delivery of all Royal Mail’s requirements.

The contract covers printed material for Royal Mail’s letters business as well as paperwork, documents and posters for the Post Office network and stationery, labels and dockets used by Parcelforce Worldwide.

The contract covers a wide range of printed material, from office stationery to Royal Mail stamps.

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Berser International expands its business

Posted by | Oct 17, 2007 | |

Stoke-on-Trent based logistics firm, Berser International Cargo Services Ltd, has expanded its business to cover the south Cheshire area to meet the requirement for overnight palletised freight distribution throughout the UK and Europe.
Berser International is part of the Berser Group founded in 1979 in the Netherlands. The Berser Group operates a fleet of over 35 vehicles. The recent expansion has meant investment in two new specially equipped vehicles with increased freight carrying capacity and the employment of extra personnel, together with an increase in handling equipment resources.
Berser International operates its overnight palletised freight distribution service through Palletways, the number one palletised freight network in the UK.
The company is one of more than 100 regional depots that make up the nationwide network, which provides a range of express distribution services for small consignments of palletised freight, including next day, economy and timed delivery options.
By accessing the Palletways website and entering their unique login name, Berser International’s customers are able to go online and check the status and location of their consignment with track and trace.

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