Tag: UK

Geodis wins Paul Smith fashion contract

Geodis announced yesterday it had won a contract with world-renowned fashion house Paul Smith of the UK to deliver the designer’s products to European retail outlets and its own boutiques.

The deal followed a 10-month trial between the companies via Geodis’ Eurofirst distribution network. Under the agreement, goods will be collected from Nottingham-based Paul Smith’s dispatch warehouses and conveyed to Geodis’ European hubs, to feed into domestic distribution networks for final delivery to outlets across France, Germany and other markets.

Jamie Cuthbert, managing director of Geodis UK, commented: “Our focus is on specific services and market sectors, one of which is the provision of end-to-end European road freight services for producers of finished, high value consumer goods and our new arrangement with Paul Smith fits perfectly with that profile.

“Geodis is at the forefront of fashion logistics across Europe and offers a range of value-added services specific to the sector, such as labelling, hanging, bagging and security tagging of garments,” Cuthbert added.

Geodis’ recently opened a new group age platform in Bonneuil sur Marne Port, outside Paris, and unveiled plans for a new hub in Paris, due for completion in late spring of next year.

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Royal Mail staff raises millions in payroll donation scheme

Royal Mail employees raised a record-breaking GBP 2.6 million through payroll giving in the last financial year, up almost GBP 440,000 on the previous year.

Around 50,000 employees at the organization make monthly payroll donations – at a rate of GBP 295 an hour. More than 850 charities have benefited from the scheme at the Royal Mail, the main beneficiary being ‘Help the Hospices’, which has received almost GBP 250,000 through payroll giving in the last year.

As a result of the results, Royal Mail has set itself the target of raising GBP 5 million a year through payroll by 2013.

Kay Allen, head of social policy at Royal Mail Group said: “With almost 50,000 employees signed up to our scheme, eight per cent of the UK’s payroll givers work at Royal Mail. Each and every one of our ‘payroll posties’ should be congratulated on their efforts.”

A recent Institute of Payroll Professionals (IPP) study revealed that 21 per cent of people across the country give no money to charity at all.

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New ‘high speed’ In-bound European Logistics Service from Business Direct

Business Direct Group plc. has set up a subsidiary company in Germany in advance of the launch of a dedicated inbound European ‘high speed’ through the night logistics service into the UK.
Business Direct GmbH has already opened an office at the local airport Niederrhein Weeze on the Dutch-German border for the 5 times a week nightly air bridge service into Coventry airport in the UK. Negotiations are at an advanced stage for a dedicated charter aircraft ready for the launch of the new service that cannot be achieved using scheduled services.
The new ‘high speed’ through the night service offers, computer, electronics and materials handling manufacturers with European-based distribution centers very late cut off times of 8pm for pick up and delivery into the UK before 8am the next morning. Niederrhein has been chosen as the European hub of this new through the night service as its location is near several hundred major distribution centres in Holland and North Western Germany and provides a straightforward collection opportunity.
Business Direct’s inbound European air service provides a completely seamless service linking directly in to its national network of over 300 Parcel Exchange facilities throughout the UK, in-boot service and next day technical courier services or direct into the manufacturer’s parts dealerships.
The other major advantage of this through the night service is that it will enable major suppliers of spare parts into the UK from central stocks in Europe to eliminate the need to hold stocks in the UK and therefore significantly reduce inventory, warehousing and distribution costs.

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City Link H1 profits and revenues up strongly

and profits in the first half of 2007 following its acquisition of rival Target Express and due to good organic growth ahead of the overall market, parent group Rentokil Initial announced in its interim report today.

The parcels firm, which claims to be one of the domestic market leaders, increased half-year revenue by 148.5 pct to GBP 203 million (EUR 300 million) from GBP 81.7 million in the first half of 2006. Excluding acquisitions, organic revenue growth was 9.7 pct compared with estimated market growth of 4 pct, the group pointed out.

City Link improved half-year adjusted operating profit by over 75.9pct to GBP 24.1 million, representing a profit margin of 11.9pct. Second-quarter figures were similar, with revenue up 127.9 pct and adjusted operating profit up 73.8pct.

In 2006, City Link had an operating profit of GBP 32.6 million on revenues of GBP 213.3 million. The company bought Target Express in November 2006 and a number of franchise operations during 2006 and 2007.

City Link’s B2B revenues, which account for about 70 pct of its network turnover, were strongly ahead of last year during the first half, the group said in its half-year report. However, there was evidence of some down trading and slower sales growth in the B2C segment in the early months of the year.

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Competition is helping the mail industry adapt to a fast-changing communications

Postcomm, the independent regulator for postal services, has called on Royal Mail to continue to raise its game and urged all operators to promote the strengths of mail versus other communications media, as it published the emerging themes from a far-reaching review of its regulatory strategy.

During the past year, Postcomm has asked for views on the future of postal services in the UK. The regulator will use these to help frame its regulatory strategy in the lead up to 2010 and beyond.

The principal theme of the review, on which Postcomm is now seeking feedback, is that mail operators must make the most of the opportunities presented by the changing mail market.

– Customers are benefiting from competition
– More innovation is needed in order to exploit the changing mail market
– Postcomm reaffirms its aim to move to less detailed regulation
– The universal service will be secured in a changing mail market

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