Tag: Worldwide

UK postal union threatens national strike

Posted by | May 24, 2006 | |

The postal workers’ union is threatening the first national postal strike for a decade, saying it is on a “collision course” with Royal Mail over plans for a free share issue. The Communication Workers Union gave the state-owned company four weeks to resume pay negotiations and withdraw plans to give workers free shares or face a vote for the first national postal strike since 1996. The union is also seeking guarantees on job security and pensions. The union warned that issuing shares, representing up to 20 per cent of the value of the business, to staff could open the door to the eventual privatisation of the company. CWU represents 160,000 of Royal Mail’s 200,000 workers. The strike threat emerged at the union’s annual conference in Bournemouth, where the CWU reported that more than 90,000 workers had voted in favour of the union’s view that there should be “no issue of shares as a first step to privatisation”.

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E-Commerce Sales in ’06 to Jump 20 Percent to USD 211.4B: Shop.org Study

Posted by | May 23, 2006 | |

Online retail sales this year are projected to grow 20 percent to USD 211.4 billion when including travel, according to a new study from Forrester Research for Shop.org.

The numbers, published in Shop.org’s 2006 State of Retailing Online report, are projected at USD 138 billion if travel is excluded. The same growth drivers figure this year as in years past.

“I think one of the key factors is the new categories or the more categories that people are shopping,” said Scott Silverman, executive director of Shop.org, Washington, DC.

“For 2006, the two fastest growing categories are pet supplies and cosmetics and fragrances,” he said. “These aren’t the biggest categories, but they’re the fastest growing. It illustrates the fact that customers are increasingly comfortable of buying in new categories and especially those you don’t normally associate with online retail.”

Computer hardware and software, at USD 16.8 billion, is the largest non-travel category projected this year. Autos and auto parts is next, with USD 15.9 billion. Apparel and accessories follows with USD 13.8 billion.

Pet supplies and cosmetics and fragrances are expected to post growth rates of more than 30 percent this year — more than any other category measured by Forrester.

The study of 174 retailers — not all of them members of Shop.org or its National Retail Federation parent — found that retailers increasingly are investing in multichannel integration. However, customer security is a major concern for those surveyed.

That said, e-commerce is set to get more recognition as a major revenue source within multichannel retailers.

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UK Royal Mail seeks alliance with American parcel giant

Posted by | May 21, 2006 | |

Two of the world’s biggest postal groups, Fedex Corporation and UPS, are in advanced negotiations to set up a groundbreaking European strategic alliance with Royal Mail. Allan Leighton, chairman of Royal Mail, is still deciding which of the two potential American-owned partners to pick but it is thought he is close to creating a new company that could transform the financial prospects of the British mail group. Leighton did not reveal the talks with the two US postal giants — Fedex, which is capitalised at USD33 billion (GBP17.5 billion), and UPS, worth USD52 billion. He wants the European operations of Fedex or UPS to team up with Royal Mail’s General Logistics Systems. GLS runs a pan-European parcels business and is Royal Mail’s most profitable operation.

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Record profits for UK Royal Mail

Posted by | May 14, 2006 | |

The Royal Mail has made record profits of GBP 537 million, triggering a bonus of over GBP1,000 for 180,000 postal workers, it was announced.

The state owned operator also revealed that first class mail deliveries were the best in a decade while the number of letters being lost have been cut by half in the past year.

Chairman Allan Leighton said postmen and women had achieved a “fantastic turnaround” and would now benefit from one of the biggest profit shares with employees in UK corporate history.

Every worker will receive GBP1,074, amounting to GBP218 million of the Royal Mail’s profits.

Details of payments to executives will be revealed later although there has been speculation that Chief Executive Adam Crozier was paid almost GBP3 million last year.

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