Rick Triola talks about the challenges of creating a true end-to-end paperless transaction.
Read MoreIn a deal bound to increase competition for the high-value trade moving by air between the United States and China, DHL last month signed a letter of intent to pay USD150 million for a 49 per cent stake in pure freight operator Polar Air Cargo.
The deal, which will give DHL 25 per cent voting rights in the company owned by New York-listed Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, also includes a 20-year agreement expected to reserve for the giant German shipper up to 50 per cent of Polar’s capacity across the Pacific. It is expected to be finalised within three months.
Although loath to publicly say so, DHL has been struggling lately to find enough scheduled transpacific lift at the right times from Asia to the US. With freight shipping demand in the region growing, the shortage looks set to grow more acute.
At present, most of the operator’s transpacific business is carried in the belly of passenger flights by long-time partner Northwest Airlines under a commercial agreement set to expire mid-2008. The US carrier has been a reliable supplier for DHL over the years but with exports from China booming, Asia’s biggest express operator needs an alternative.
With the Polar buy, DHL will solve its space shortage.
Read MoreFar from being dethroned by the internet, the big book has thrived on the back of an online presence and given UK printers a major boost.
Not only are many retail firms adding catalogues as a fundamental part of their strategies, but the catalogue is also serving to complement online sales. Even websites such as Ebay have produced print editions.
Good news for catalogue printers is that while those that historically have relied on the medium to get their message across continue to do so – such as mail order companies like Avon, Empire, and Grattons – there is a growing band of retailers willing to embrace the power of the printed page and move from a store- or internet-only presence to a bulging product catalogue. Tesco, Woolworths and John Lewis, among many others, have all gone down this route. Online sales are flourishing, and that’s down to the traditional, bulky catalogue being replaced by clever, creative marketing: catalogues are now smaller, smarter, and bursting with fresh products. However, that stability and growth may be compromised by the increasing trend of production going overseas. Big retailers such as Tesco and Woolworths have already placed major slices of their catalogue work abroad, and the question arises as to whether production is increasingly likely to go there in the future.
Read MoreThe Role of Postal Networks in Expanding Access to Financial Services. Volume 2. Country profiles
Egypt
Kazakhstan
Namibia
Romania
Sri Lanka
Uganda
Vietnam
CEO Peter Bakker:
“TNT’s Board of Management is pleased with the results of the third quarter. Operating income grew by 8.9% fueled by new records in Express both in terms of revenue growth and the Q3 margin level. The Mail operating margin was in line with the outlook but Mail Netherlands saw ‘above trend’ volume decreases in this quarter. We confirm the full-year outlook for TNT.
The completion of the sale of our Logistics division – for which all approvals have now been obtained – is still expected before the year end. Part of the earlier-indicated costs related to the sale of Logistics was booked in the third quarter results. Good strategic progress has been achieved with the acquisition of a road express operator in India and further accelerated growth of EMN. To further focus our business on operating networks, we announce today our intention to exit Freight Management.
All-in-all, we are satisfied with the strategic progress and the structural improvements in our operating performance made so far this year.”
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