OSTAL NEWS
No.08 -2018
Formulated by UNI Apro Post and Logistics Sector
Campaign for Canada Post's Future Goes to the Bargaining Table. January 24, 2018.
DHL launches global trade barometer, and the mercury is rising. January 22, 2018.
New Zealand Post trials electric vans. January 21, 2018.
Majority of UK SME online retailers are confident sales will increase in 2018. January 19,2018.
Descended From Convicts. January 16, 2018.
No.08 -2018
Formulated by UNI Apro Post and Logistics Sector
Campaign for Canada Post's Future Goes to the Bargaining Table. January 24, 2018.
DHL launches global trade barometer, and the mercury is rising. January 22, 2018.
New Zealand Post trials electric vans. January 21, 2018.
Majority of UK SME online retailers are confident sales will increase in 2018. January 19,2018.
Descended From Convicts. January 16, 2018.
Campaign for Canada Post's Future Goes to the Bargaining Table.
January 24, 2018
Door-to-door protected for millions, but fight to restore the cuts carries on
This morning, after a year of review and another year of delays, the federal government finally made public its vision for a renewed Canada Post. Some four million households can now rest easy that their door-to-door service will not be cut, but more than 800,000 are still out in the cold.
“We and many allies made Canada Post an election issue in 2015, and the Liberals were elected on a promise to restore door-to-door and to consult on a new vision for Canada Post,” says Mike Palecek, National President of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW). “At least today’s announcement is clear that the service cuts will end. But for close to a million people, it breaks the promise to restore door-to-door, and gives the crown corporation little direction on some major issues.”
CUPW has campaigned for years – and submitted a great deal of input to the government’s 2016 review of Canada Post – with major emphases on restoring door-to-door delivery, using Canada Post to address climate change, and maintaining the service’s financial self-sufficiency with expanded services including postal banking.
Instead of acting on these recommendations, the government has passed the buck to a renewal of Canada Post’s board of directors.
But it does open a new door, says Palecek: “In discussions with CUPW, Canada Post has frequently claimed that it could not negotiate new services without government direction. Minister Qualtrough’s announcement asks the corporation to seriously explore new service options.”
He added, “The Liberals may have passed up their chance to act, but postal workers will never stop fighting for the future of the service, and our allies will keep supporting that fight.” CUPW has presented demands to Canada Post on restoring door-to-door, greening the postal service, and service expansion. Bargaining talks between CUPW and Canada Post Corporation began in December.
Source : CUPW (Canadian Union of Postal Workers)
DHL launches global trade barometer, and the mercury is rising.
January 22 , 2018
Logistics giant DHL has introduced what it claims is an early indicator for the current state and future development of global trade.
The DHL Global Trade Barometer, published quarterly, is based on large amounts of logistics data from the deepsea container market that are evaluated with the help of artificial intelligence.
The January 2018 barometer indicates that global trade will continue to grow within the next three months. On its initial release, the index scored 64, which is slightly below the values calculated for previous months.
“That means that world trade is still considered to be in an expansive mode, but growth loses momentum,” said a spokesperson for DHL.
The spokesperson added: “The decline is due to weakening prospects for Chinese and Japanese trade, which is only partially offset by improved prospects for India, South Korea and Great Britain.”
Developed in co-operation between DHL and Accenture, the barometer provides an outlook on future trade and also on the prospects for the global economy.
Tim Scharwath, chief executive of DHL Global Forwarding, Freight, said that the logistics provider has both “a deep understanding of the driving forces behind global trade volumes” and “the industry expertise to analyse and interpret market data”.
Scharwath added: “Our network, knowledge and experience uniquely position us to understand global supply chains in order to derive a global trade outlook.
“The DHL Global Trade Barometer shows impressively how digitalisation – with the use of Big Data and Predictive Analytics – opens up entirely new opportunities that we can use for the benefit of our customers.”
Accenture will provide data modelling and predictive analytics to forecast future trade trends for DHL which stated that it will receive “one unified view of the insights which will give them a stronger understanding of current and future state of global trade logistics for its customers”.
The DHL Global Trade Barometer is based on import and export data for a number of intermediate and early-cycle commodities that serve as the basis for further industrial production, e.g. brand labels for clothes, bumpers for cars or touch screens for mobile devices.
Sources for the index are aggregated market data from air and containerised ocean freight in seven countries, which account for more than 75% of world trade. Using artificial intelligence and various statistical methods this data is compressed to a single index value, which is published on a global level and individually for the seven countries evaluated.
The DHL Global Trade Barometer index represents the weighted average of the current growth and the upcoming two months of global trade.
An index value above 50 indicates a positive development; values below 50 point to a decline in world trade.
Tests with historical data have revealed a high correlation between the DHL Global Trade Barometer and real containerized trade, providing a three-month forward-looking estimate.
In addition to the findings on world trade in general, says that the barometer provides “deep insights into specific issues, e.g. the main macroeconomic factors
that are affecting trade trends or the countries and regions that are driving global trade”.
By breaking down the global supply chain, volume trends within industry sectors could be identified, pointing to outperforming and declining sectors.
The new tool will help DHL customers to optimise their business processes
Due to the high quality of the data, said DHL, the barometer has a “high significance also beyond logistics”.
As an indicator for future trade and economic growth worldwide, the index could be integrated into forecast models by banks, associations or economic research institutes.
“In a world characterized by volatility and uncertainty, we are contributing to greater transparency and predictability – for the benefit of our customers, our business and society,” Scharwath said.
Source : Air Cargo News
New Zealand Post trials electric vans
January 21, 2018
With assistance from EECA’s Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund, New Zealand Post will purchase five electric vans to assess their suitability for use in the courier fleet.
The new vehicles will allow courier drivers to see for themselves what it is like to drive an electric van, so that they can consider purchasing or leasing their own. The vans will be used at courier depots and delivery branches at different locations around the country. New Zealand Post Sustainability Specialist Sam Bridgman says this initiative will help towards mainstreaming electric vans in our courier fleet.
“We would like to thank the EECA in helping us with this funding. In addition to our other low carbon initiatives, these vehicles will help us develop new ways to reduce the carbon footprint of the mail we deliver”.
New Zealand Post has over 1,000 vans and already has the largest roadworthy electric vehicle fleet in the country with the electric Paxster delivery vehicles.
Source: New Zealand Post 08-2017
Majority of UK SME online retailers are confident sales will increase in 2018
January 19, 2018
The future is looking bright for UK SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) online retailers with 70% saying they experienced an uplift in sales in 2017 compared to the previous year and 74% expressing confidence that sales will increase in 2018, according to a study commissioned by Royal Mail. The health and beauty sector saw the highest increase in sales with 78%, followed by electronics (73%). Increasing their social media presence (43%), running more promotional offers (39%) and introducing new products/services (29%) are the main ways retailers are planning to achieve growth in 2018.
The main concerns for UK SME online retailers in 2018 are the ability to make a profit (27%), increase sales (26%) and reduce costs (23%). 69% of retailers expect costs to be higher in 2018 and the biggest costs expected are purchasing (34%), logistics/delivery (32%) and advertising (27%).
The study also found 68% of UK SME online retailers currently sell overseas. 80% of these retailers sell to Europe, followed by USA (35%), Canada (31%) and Asia (17%). In the fashion sector, 88% sell to Europe, 53% to USA, 28% to Canada, and 25% to Asia. 78% in the electronics sector sell internationally, followed by 72% of health and beauty and 67% of fashion retailers. USA is the country where retailers sell the most to, followed by France and Germany. The most popular European destinations to sell to are France, Germany and Spain. In 2018, 64% of UK SME online retailers intend to increase their international sales revenue. In the electronics sector the percentage is higher at 78%. In health and beauty it is 69% and in fashion 68%. Key ways of increasing international sales revenue will be by simplifying the sales/ordering/delivery and payment process (45%), selling more to the markets they already sell to (28%) and targeting new markets and countries (20%).
Nick Landon, Managing Director of Royal Mail Parcels, said “It’s great to see the level of business confidence from UK SME online retailers at the start of 2018. Although obvious challenges exist, retailers are grasping the available opportunities for growth and have a clear view of the actions they need to take to win new customers at home and abroad. At Royal Mail, we already support many retail businesses in delivering against exactly these opportunities and we look forward to working with even more of these great businesses this year. UK SME online retailers are planning to target Europe (50%), USA (34%) and Canada (28%) in 2018 due to demand, good ecommerce structure and the ease of shipping and delivery. Europe holds the greatest opportunity, according to UK SME online retailers.
Source: Royal Mail Group
Descended From Convicts. January 16, 2018.
January 16, 2018
Postal Hub Podcast listeners may have heard me mention (more than once) that Tasmania is the best part of Australia, and quite possibly the world. Tasmania has it all: unspoiled beaches, clean air, leatherwood honey, confusing one-way street systems, and much more.
Tasmania also has a strong convict history, and that history is recognised in Australia Post's new stamp issue commemorating the 150th anniversary since the last convict transport ship arrived in Australia.
The stamp issue depicts three former penal colonies: New South Wales, Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) and Swan River (Western Australia).
The Van Diemen's Land stamp features Port Arthur. The World Heritage-listed convict site operated from 1830 to 1877, and these days is a famous tourist attraction.
The NSW Colony stamp features the heritage-listed Hyde Park Barracks in Sydney- the first government-built convict barracks, operational from 1819 until 1848.
The Swan River Colony stamp depicts the end of the convict transportation era, when 279 prisoners arrived at the Swan River Colony in 1868. The stamp shows the Convict Establishment, built in the early 1850s with convict labour, and later known as Fremantle Prison.
Source : The Postal Hub
POSTAL NEWS
No.09 -2018
Formulated by UNI Apro Post and Logistics Sector
Canadian Government Announces “Vision For Renewal” At Canada Post. January 24, 2018.
The majority of UK marketplace shoppers are female, yet men spend a third more than women. January 24, 2018.
Asian cargo monthly: A bumper year for Chinese carriers. January 23, 2018.
Deutsche Post DHL Streetscooter Getting Cozy with BMW. January 22, 2018.
Clerk Craft and USPS Agree on $36 Million Remedy Settlement for Violations Regarding Sales Retention Teams. January 16, 2018.
Canadian Government Announces “Vision For Renewal” At Canada Post.
January 24, 2018
Public Services Minister Carla Qualtrough has today (24 January) set out the Canadian Government’s “vision for renewal” at Canada Post”.
As previously reported, ahead of the 2015 election the Liberal party said it would put a brake on Canada Post’s programme of introducing community mailboxes instead of door-to-door home deliveries.
In today’s announcement, Public Services and Procurement Canada said: “The program to convert home delivery to community mailboxes will be terminated effective immediately, building on the previously announced moratorium.”
“Additionally, to help those who have difficulty accessing community mailboxes, Canada Post will significantly expand its accessibility program. This will help seniors and others with reduced mobility access their mail, and result in better service for tens of thousands of Canadians. The government is asking Canada Post to set up a panel of experts and advocates for seniors and people with disabilities to advise on the development, implementation and promotion of an enhanced accessibility program.”
Reading between the lines, this suggests that Canada Post will not be introducing new community mailboxes – but in at least some of the areas where the community mailboxes have already been introduced, they could be here to stay.
The Public Services and Procurement Canada statement continued: “Canada Post will be reclassified under the Financial Administration Act with the strengthened expectation that it will reinvest all of its profits in service and innovation. It will also promote its affordable remittance services to Canadians through its vast network of post offices across the country.
“New leadership is key to Canada Post’s future success and to create the foundation needed for renewal. Recently, Minister Qualtrough announced the appointment of Jessica L. McDonald as the Chair of Canada Post’s Board of Directors to oversee the implementation of the new vision, which is outlined in a letter. Her appointment is part of a broader renewal of the Board of Directors, incorporating greater diversity and broader perspectives, including labour. The government is also asking the Board to build more collaborative and constructive relations with communities, employees, labour and other stakeholders.”
Source : Post and Parcel
The majority of UK marketplace shoppers are female, yet men spend a third more than women.
January 24 , 2018
Marketplace shoppers regularly browse online sites, making an average of two purchases each month, according to a study commissioned by Royal Mail. Amazon and eBay are leading the market with 80% of marketplace shoppers buying monthly from Amazon, including 17% doing so weekly. 76% of marketplace shoppers purchase from eBay every month and 16% do so on a weekly basis,.The majority of marketplace shoppers are female but male shoppers spend, on average, a third (31%) more than females per month (£67 vs £51).The study, part of Royal Mail’s annual Delivery Matters report, asked 1,000 UK online marketplace shoppers about their marketplace shopping habits.
This is the first time Royal Mail has dedicated a report to marketplace shoppers. It found that clothes (32%) are the most commonly purchased item from online market places,closely followed by books(31%).
Consumers are choosing to buy on marketplaces due to low prices and deals (76%) and the range of products available (70%). They pick marketplaces over online retailers because they can find better deals (60%), purchase items they can’t find elsewhere (51%) and there’s more variety of the item they’re looking for (38%). Nick Landon, Managing Director of Royal Mail Parcels, said “The rise of online marketplaces is impacting the way consumers shop online and how retailers sell to their customers. Shoppers increasingly expect the same experience when purchasing on a marketplace to when buying goods from an online retailer. Businesses that are selling via marketplaces need to ensure they are offering the best customer service possible, with a positive delivery and returns experience at the centre of this.” The study revealed that it’s important for online marketplace sellers to provide a simple delivery and returns experience. Delivery options are key when shoppers choose between marketplace sellers and 75% of shoppers expect delivery times to be the same when ordering from an online marketplace as when they order from an online retailer.
Fulfilment of delivery options is a driving force behind the choice of seller. It is important that online marketplace sellers use delivery options strategically to be a point of differentiation from competitors.
When it comes to returns, 59% of those surveyed said the returns experience would impact the rating they would give to a seller and 62% would be unlikely to shop with a seller again after a difficult returns experience. 78% expect the returns process with an online marketplace seller to be similar or easier than with online retailers.
Source: Royal Mail / International Post Corporation
Asian cargo monthly: A bumper year for Chinese carriers.
January 23 , 2018
Asian airlines enjoyed a strong 2017, with several carriers reporting their best cargo performance over recent years.
The region’s largest cargo carrier, Cathay Pacific, saw cargo demand increase by 9% year on year to reach 11.6bn cargo and mail revenue tonne kms.
This is the carrier’s busiest year for freight since Air Cargo News records begin in 2011, while it is also the largest year-on-year percentage increase registered by the carrier since 2014.
The year ended strongly for the carrier – with a 9.2% cargo traffic improvement in December – despite some concerns that growth levels could weaken as the year progressed.
Cathay Pacific director commercial and cargo Ronald Lam said: “Cargo’s strong momentum continued well into December, with volumes growing well ahead of capacity. We were able to sustain a high load factor and high yield during the month.
“As a result, revenue efficiency gains were observed in all route groups. Not only did our home market of Hong Kong perform well, strong cargo feed from across the network enabled us to achieve an all-time weekly tonnage uplift record in the week ending December 9.
“In terms of the nature of commodities carried, perishables were much in demand in the lead up to the festive season.”
Source : Aircargonews
Deutsche Post DHL Streetscooter Getting Cozy with BMW.
January 22, 2018
BMW is getting involved with Deutsche Post DHL's electric Streetscooter vans, providing battery modules as well as fleet management and finance.
BMW subsidiary Alphabet will leverage its leasing expertise to lease StreetScooters to corporate and government customers. Initially, the deal will involve the leasing of 500 of Deutsche Post's electric delivery vehicles.
Alphabet's eMobility solution, AlphaElectric, currently has a portfolio of around 5,500 electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and electric transporters. In addition to leasing/finance, AlphaElectric offers features such as vehicle servicing, claims management, and charging infrastructure.
With the StreetScooter, Deutsche Post has become a major manufacturer of electric vehicles. This latest deal propels Deutsche Post further down that path, meaning that more delivery companies (or businesses offering home delivery) that need a delivery vehicle will be able to buy or lease a StreetScooter.
As of November 2017, Deutsche Post had 5000 StreetScooters in its fleet, resulting in in an annual reduction of more than 16,000 tons of carbon emissions.
Deutsche Post DHL wants to convert its entire mail and parcel delivery fleet of just under 50,000 vehicles to zero-emission by 2050.
BMW will be supplying battery modules for the StreetScooter. The vehicle will use the same battery modules as the BMW i3.
The battery packs will be manufactured at the BMW Group Competence Center for Electric
Mobility and are composed of 8 modules, outfitted with 12 cells each making for a total capacity of 33 kilowatt-hours (kWh).
Source : Postal Hub
Clerk Craft and USPS Agree on $36 Million Remedy Settlement for Violations Regarding Sales Retention Teams. January 16, 2018.
January 16, 2018
On Jan. 12, the Clerk Craft and the USPS agreed on a $36 million remedy settlement for the Postal Service’s violations regarding the Sales Retention Team (SRT) Pilot Program. The money will be distributed among Clerk Craft employees to be identified by the National APWU. The Postal Service
is required to cooperate and provide information necessary for the union to identify employees eligible for payment.
Eligible employees are those in the Clerk Craft bargaining unit who were on the rolls in the installations (bid clusters), attached to the Sales Retention Team (SRT) sites, in the following locations:
Akron, OH
Atlanta, GA
Boston, MA
Dallas, TX
Dayton, OH
Everett, WA
Aurora (Fox Valley), IL
Philadelphia, PA
Portland, OR
Saint Petersburgh, FL
San Francisco, CA
Tampa, FL
The remedy settlement results from Arbitrator Stephen Goldberg’s decision on Dec. 8, 2016, holding that the Postal Service violated the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) by assigning injured workers to perform Clerk Craft work with Sales Retention Teams without first assigning the work to the Clerk Craft.
Arbitrator Goldberg ordered the Postal Service to cease and desist these violations of the CBA found in this case, assign SRT work to Clerk Craft employees, and post SRT work assignments for bid without delay. The Postal Service posted Customer Retention Agent duty assignments for bid by eligible Clerk Craft employees at all Customer Retention Program sites and awarded positions in March and April of 2017.
The arbitrator remanded to the parties and ordered that they “seek agreement on an appropriate financial remedy for the violations of the [Collective Bargaining] Agreement here found to have occurred.”
This January 12 monetary settlement was finally reached as the parties prepared to present disputes over remedy to the arbitrator in a hearing scheduled for Jan. 16.
This monetary settlement reaffirms that the work performed at the Sales Retention Team sites, now called Customer Retention Program sites, is Clerk Craft work.
“This is another step forward in protecting our work that will ultimately benefit everyone in the APWU,” said President Mark Dimondstein.
“The monetary remedy shows the value of collective persistence and perseverance in the face of USPS unethical behavior,” said Clerk Craft Director Clint Burelson. “Thanks go to Assistant Clerk Craft Director Lamont Brooks, who served as case officer and negotiated the monetary settlement, Assistant Clerk Craft Director Lynn Pallas-Barber for her assistance throughout the case, and Industrial Relations Director Vance Zimmerman for expediting the scheduling of the case.”
Source : APWU.ORG
January 24, 2018
Door-to-door protected for millions, but fight to restore the cuts carries on
This morning, after a year of review and another year of delays, the federal government finally made public its vision for a renewed Canada Post. Some four million households can now rest easy that their door-to-door service will not be cut, but more than 800,000 are still out in the cold.
“We and many allies made Canada Post an election issue in 2015, and the Liberals were elected on a promise to restore door-to-door and to consult on a new vision for Canada Post,” says Mike Palecek, National President of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW). “At least today’s announcement is clear that the service cuts will end. But for close to a million people, it breaks the promise to restore door-to-door, and gives the crown corporation little direction on some major issues.”
CUPW has campaigned for years – and submitted a great deal of input to the government’s 2016 review of Canada Post – with major emphases on restoring door-to-door delivery, using Canada Post to address climate change, and maintaining the service’s financial self-sufficiency with expanded services including postal banking.
Instead of acting on these recommendations, the government has passed the buck to a renewal of Canada Post’s board of directors.
But it does open a new door, says Palecek: “In discussions with CUPW, Canada Post has frequently claimed that it could not negotiate new services without government direction. Minister Qualtrough’s announcement asks the corporation to seriously explore new service options.”
He added, “The Liberals may have passed up their chance to act, but postal workers will never stop fighting for the future of the service, and our allies will keep supporting that fight.” CUPW has presented demands to Canada Post on restoring door-to-door, greening the postal service, and service expansion. Bargaining talks between CUPW and Canada Post Corporation began in December.
Source : CUPW (Canadian Union of Postal Workers)
DHL launches global trade barometer, and the mercury is rising.
January 22 , 2018
Logistics giant DHL has introduced what it claims is an early indicator for the current state and future development of global trade.
The DHL Global Trade Barometer, published quarterly, is based on large amounts of logistics data from the deepsea container market that are evaluated with the help of artificial intelligence.
The January 2018 barometer indicates that global trade will continue to grow within the next three months. On its initial release, the index scored 64, which is slightly below the values calculated for previous months.
“That means that world trade is still considered to be in an expansive mode, but growth loses momentum,” said a spokesperson for DHL.
The spokesperson added: “The decline is due to weakening prospects for Chinese and Japanese trade, which is only partially offset by improved prospects for India, South Korea and Great Britain.”
Developed in co-operation between DHL and Accenture, the barometer provides an outlook on future trade and also on the prospects for the global economy.
Tim Scharwath, chief executive of DHL Global Forwarding, Freight, said that the logistics provider has both “a deep understanding of the driving forces behind global trade volumes” and “the industry expertise to analyse and interpret market data”.
Scharwath added: “Our network, knowledge and experience uniquely position us to understand global supply chains in order to derive a global trade outlook.
“The DHL Global Trade Barometer shows impressively how digitalisation – with the use of Big Data and Predictive Analytics – opens up entirely new opportunities that we can use for the benefit of our customers.”
Accenture will provide data modelling and predictive analytics to forecast future trade trends for DHL which stated that it will receive “one unified view of the insights which will give them a stronger understanding of current and future state of global trade logistics for its customers”.
The DHL Global Trade Barometer is based on import and export data for a number of intermediate and early-cycle commodities that serve as the basis for further industrial production, e.g. brand labels for clothes, bumpers for cars or touch screens for mobile devices.
Sources for the index are aggregated market data from air and containerised ocean freight in seven countries, which account for more than 75% of world trade. Using artificial intelligence and various statistical methods this data is compressed to a single index value, which is published on a global level and individually for the seven countries evaluated.
The DHL Global Trade Barometer index represents the weighted average of the current growth and the upcoming two months of global trade.
An index value above 50 indicates a positive development; values below 50 point to a decline in world trade.
Tests with historical data have revealed a high correlation between the DHL Global Trade Barometer and real containerized trade, providing a three-month forward-looking estimate.
In addition to the findings on world trade in general, says that the barometer provides “deep insights into specific issues, e.g. the main macroeconomic factors
that are affecting trade trends or the countries and regions that are driving global trade”.
By breaking down the global supply chain, volume trends within industry sectors could be identified, pointing to outperforming and declining sectors.
The new tool will help DHL customers to optimise their business processes
Due to the high quality of the data, said DHL, the barometer has a “high significance also beyond logistics”.
As an indicator for future trade and economic growth worldwide, the index could be integrated into forecast models by banks, associations or economic research institutes.
“In a world characterized by volatility and uncertainty, we are contributing to greater transparency and predictability – for the benefit of our customers, our business and society,” Scharwath said.
Source : Air Cargo News
New Zealand Post trials electric vans
January 21, 2018
With assistance from EECA’s Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund, New Zealand Post will purchase five electric vans to assess their suitability for use in the courier fleet.
The new vehicles will allow courier drivers to see for themselves what it is like to drive an electric van, so that they can consider purchasing or leasing their own. The vans will be used at courier depots and delivery branches at different locations around the country. New Zealand Post Sustainability Specialist Sam Bridgman says this initiative will help towards mainstreaming electric vans in our courier fleet.
“We would like to thank the EECA in helping us with this funding. In addition to our other low carbon initiatives, these vehicles will help us develop new ways to reduce the carbon footprint of the mail we deliver”.
New Zealand Post has over 1,000 vans and already has the largest roadworthy electric vehicle fleet in the country with the electric Paxster delivery vehicles.
Source: New Zealand Post 08-2017
Majority of UK SME online retailers are confident sales will increase in 2018
January 19, 2018
The future is looking bright for UK SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) online retailers with 70% saying they experienced an uplift in sales in 2017 compared to the previous year and 74% expressing confidence that sales will increase in 2018, according to a study commissioned by Royal Mail. The health and beauty sector saw the highest increase in sales with 78%, followed by electronics (73%). Increasing their social media presence (43%), running more promotional offers (39%) and introducing new products/services (29%) are the main ways retailers are planning to achieve growth in 2018.
The main concerns for UK SME online retailers in 2018 are the ability to make a profit (27%), increase sales (26%) and reduce costs (23%). 69% of retailers expect costs to be higher in 2018 and the biggest costs expected are purchasing (34%), logistics/delivery (32%) and advertising (27%).
The study also found 68% of UK SME online retailers currently sell overseas. 80% of these retailers sell to Europe, followed by USA (35%), Canada (31%) and Asia (17%). In the fashion sector, 88% sell to Europe, 53% to USA, 28% to Canada, and 25% to Asia. 78% in the electronics sector sell internationally, followed by 72% of health and beauty and 67% of fashion retailers. USA is the country where retailers sell the most to, followed by France and Germany. The most popular European destinations to sell to are France, Germany and Spain. In 2018, 64% of UK SME online retailers intend to increase their international sales revenue. In the electronics sector the percentage is higher at 78%. In health and beauty it is 69% and in fashion 68%. Key ways of increasing international sales revenue will be by simplifying the sales/ordering/delivery and payment process (45%), selling more to the markets they already sell to (28%) and targeting new markets and countries (20%).
Nick Landon, Managing Director of Royal Mail Parcels, said “It’s great to see the level of business confidence from UK SME online retailers at the start of 2018. Although obvious challenges exist, retailers are grasping the available opportunities for growth and have a clear view of the actions they need to take to win new customers at home and abroad. At Royal Mail, we already support many retail businesses in delivering against exactly these opportunities and we look forward to working with even more of these great businesses this year. UK SME online retailers are planning to target Europe (50%), USA (34%) and Canada (28%) in 2018 due to demand, good ecommerce structure and the ease of shipping and delivery. Europe holds the greatest opportunity, according to UK SME online retailers.
Source: Royal Mail Group
Descended From Convicts. January 16, 2018.
January 16, 2018
Postal Hub Podcast listeners may have heard me mention (more than once) that Tasmania is the best part of Australia, and quite possibly the world. Tasmania has it all: unspoiled beaches, clean air, leatherwood honey, confusing one-way street systems, and much more.
Tasmania also has a strong convict history, and that history is recognised in Australia Post's new stamp issue commemorating the 150th anniversary since the last convict transport ship arrived in Australia.
The stamp issue depicts three former penal colonies: New South Wales, Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) and Swan River (Western Australia).
The Van Diemen's Land stamp features Port Arthur. The World Heritage-listed convict site operated from 1830 to 1877, and these days is a famous tourist attraction.
The NSW Colony stamp features the heritage-listed Hyde Park Barracks in Sydney- the first government-built convict barracks, operational from 1819 until 1848.
The Swan River Colony stamp depicts the end of the convict transportation era, when 279 prisoners arrived at the Swan River Colony in 1868. The stamp shows the Convict Establishment, built in the early 1850s with convict labour, and later known as Fremantle Prison.
Source : The Postal Hub
POSTAL NEWS
No.09 -2018
Formulated by UNI Apro Post and Logistics Sector
Canadian Government Announces “Vision For Renewal” At Canada Post. January 24, 2018.
The majority of UK marketplace shoppers are female, yet men spend a third more than women. January 24, 2018.
Asian cargo monthly: A bumper year for Chinese carriers. January 23, 2018.
Deutsche Post DHL Streetscooter Getting Cozy with BMW. January 22, 2018.
Clerk Craft and USPS Agree on $36 Million Remedy Settlement for Violations Regarding Sales Retention Teams. January 16, 2018.
Canadian Government Announces “Vision For Renewal” At Canada Post.
January 24, 2018
Public Services Minister Carla Qualtrough has today (24 January) set out the Canadian Government’s “vision for renewal” at Canada Post”.
As previously reported, ahead of the 2015 election the Liberal party said it would put a brake on Canada Post’s programme of introducing community mailboxes instead of door-to-door home deliveries.
In today’s announcement, Public Services and Procurement Canada said: “The program to convert home delivery to community mailboxes will be terminated effective immediately, building on the previously announced moratorium.”
“Additionally, to help those who have difficulty accessing community mailboxes, Canada Post will significantly expand its accessibility program. This will help seniors and others with reduced mobility access their mail, and result in better service for tens of thousands of Canadians. The government is asking Canada Post to set up a panel of experts and advocates for seniors and people with disabilities to advise on the development, implementation and promotion of an enhanced accessibility program.”
Reading between the lines, this suggests that Canada Post will not be introducing new community mailboxes – but in at least some of the areas where the community mailboxes have already been introduced, they could be here to stay.
The Public Services and Procurement Canada statement continued: “Canada Post will be reclassified under the Financial Administration Act with the strengthened expectation that it will reinvest all of its profits in service and innovation. It will also promote its affordable remittance services to Canadians through its vast network of post offices across the country.
“New leadership is key to Canada Post’s future success and to create the foundation needed for renewal. Recently, Minister Qualtrough announced the appointment of Jessica L. McDonald as the Chair of Canada Post’s Board of Directors to oversee the implementation of the new vision, which is outlined in a letter. Her appointment is part of a broader renewal of the Board of Directors, incorporating greater diversity and broader perspectives, including labour. The government is also asking the Board to build more collaborative and constructive relations with communities, employees, labour and other stakeholders.”
Source : Post and Parcel
The majority of UK marketplace shoppers are female, yet men spend a third more than women.
January 24 , 2018
Marketplace shoppers regularly browse online sites, making an average of two purchases each month, according to a study commissioned by Royal Mail. Amazon and eBay are leading the market with 80% of marketplace shoppers buying monthly from Amazon, including 17% doing so weekly. 76% of marketplace shoppers purchase from eBay every month and 16% do so on a weekly basis,.The majority of marketplace shoppers are female but male shoppers spend, on average, a third (31%) more than females per month (£67 vs £51).The study, part of Royal Mail’s annual Delivery Matters report, asked 1,000 UK online marketplace shoppers about their marketplace shopping habits.
This is the first time Royal Mail has dedicated a report to marketplace shoppers. It found that clothes (32%) are the most commonly purchased item from online market places,closely followed by books(31%).
Consumers are choosing to buy on marketplaces due to low prices and deals (76%) and the range of products available (70%). They pick marketplaces over online retailers because they can find better deals (60%), purchase items they can’t find elsewhere (51%) and there’s more variety of the item they’re looking for (38%). Nick Landon, Managing Director of Royal Mail Parcels, said “The rise of online marketplaces is impacting the way consumers shop online and how retailers sell to their customers. Shoppers increasingly expect the same experience when purchasing on a marketplace to when buying goods from an online retailer. Businesses that are selling via marketplaces need to ensure they are offering the best customer service possible, with a positive delivery and returns experience at the centre of this.” The study revealed that it’s important for online marketplace sellers to provide a simple delivery and returns experience. Delivery options are key when shoppers choose between marketplace sellers and 75% of shoppers expect delivery times to be the same when ordering from an online marketplace as when they order from an online retailer.
Fulfilment of delivery options is a driving force behind the choice of seller. It is important that online marketplace sellers use delivery options strategically to be a point of differentiation from competitors.
When it comes to returns, 59% of those surveyed said the returns experience would impact the rating they would give to a seller and 62% would be unlikely to shop with a seller again after a difficult returns experience. 78% expect the returns process with an online marketplace seller to be similar or easier than with online retailers.
Source: Royal Mail / International Post Corporation
Asian cargo monthly: A bumper year for Chinese carriers.
January 23 , 2018
Asian airlines enjoyed a strong 2017, with several carriers reporting their best cargo performance over recent years.
The region’s largest cargo carrier, Cathay Pacific, saw cargo demand increase by 9% year on year to reach 11.6bn cargo and mail revenue tonne kms.
This is the carrier’s busiest year for freight since Air Cargo News records begin in 2011, while it is also the largest year-on-year percentage increase registered by the carrier since 2014.
The year ended strongly for the carrier – with a 9.2% cargo traffic improvement in December – despite some concerns that growth levels could weaken as the year progressed.
Cathay Pacific director commercial and cargo Ronald Lam said: “Cargo’s strong momentum continued well into December, with volumes growing well ahead of capacity. We were able to sustain a high load factor and high yield during the month.
“As a result, revenue efficiency gains were observed in all route groups. Not only did our home market of Hong Kong perform well, strong cargo feed from across the network enabled us to achieve an all-time weekly tonnage uplift record in the week ending December 9.
“In terms of the nature of commodities carried, perishables were much in demand in the lead up to the festive season.”
Source : Aircargonews
Deutsche Post DHL Streetscooter Getting Cozy with BMW.
January 22, 2018
BMW is getting involved with Deutsche Post DHL's electric Streetscooter vans, providing battery modules as well as fleet management and finance.
BMW subsidiary Alphabet will leverage its leasing expertise to lease StreetScooters to corporate and government customers. Initially, the deal will involve the leasing of 500 of Deutsche Post's electric delivery vehicles.
Alphabet's eMobility solution, AlphaElectric, currently has a portfolio of around 5,500 electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and electric transporters. In addition to leasing/finance, AlphaElectric offers features such as vehicle servicing, claims management, and charging infrastructure.
With the StreetScooter, Deutsche Post has become a major manufacturer of electric vehicles. This latest deal propels Deutsche Post further down that path, meaning that more delivery companies (or businesses offering home delivery) that need a delivery vehicle will be able to buy or lease a StreetScooter.
As of November 2017, Deutsche Post had 5000 StreetScooters in its fleet, resulting in in an annual reduction of more than 16,000 tons of carbon emissions.
Deutsche Post DHL wants to convert its entire mail and parcel delivery fleet of just under 50,000 vehicles to zero-emission by 2050.
BMW will be supplying battery modules for the StreetScooter. The vehicle will use the same battery modules as the BMW i3.
The battery packs will be manufactured at the BMW Group Competence Center for Electric
Mobility and are composed of 8 modules, outfitted with 12 cells each making for a total capacity of 33 kilowatt-hours (kWh).
Source : Postal Hub
Clerk Craft and USPS Agree on $36 Million Remedy Settlement for Violations Regarding Sales Retention Teams. January 16, 2018.
January 16, 2018
On Jan. 12, the Clerk Craft and the USPS agreed on a $36 million remedy settlement for the Postal Service’s violations regarding the Sales Retention Team (SRT) Pilot Program. The money will be distributed among Clerk Craft employees to be identified by the National APWU. The Postal Service
is required to cooperate and provide information necessary for the union to identify employees eligible for payment.
Eligible employees are those in the Clerk Craft bargaining unit who were on the rolls in the installations (bid clusters), attached to the Sales Retention Team (SRT) sites, in the following locations:
Akron, OH
Atlanta, GA
Boston, MA
Dallas, TX
Dayton, OH
Everett, WA
Aurora (Fox Valley), IL
Philadelphia, PA
Portland, OR
Saint Petersburgh, FL
San Francisco, CA
Tampa, FL
The remedy settlement results from Arbitrator Stephen Goldberg’s decision on Dec. 8, 2016, holding that the Postal Service violated the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) by assigning injured workers to perform Clerk Craft work with Sales Retention Teams without first assigning the work to the Clerk Craft.
Arbitrator Goldberg ordered the Postal Service to cease and desist these violations of the CBA found in this case, assign SRT work to Clerk Craft employees, and post SRT work assignments for bid without delay. The Postal Service posted Customer Retention Agent duty assignments for bid by eligible Clerk Craft employees at all Customer Retention Program sites and awarded positions in March and April of 2017.
The arbitrator remanded to the parties and ordered that they “seek agreement on an appropriate financial remedy for the violations of the [Collective Bargaining] Agreement here found to have occurred.”
This January 12 monetary settlement was finally reached as the parties prepared to present disputes over remedy to the arbitrator in a hearing scheduled for Jan. 16.
This monetary settlement reaffirms that the work performed at the Sales Retention Team sites, now called Customer Retention Program sites, is Clerk Craft work.
“This is another step forward in protecting our work that will ultimately benefit everyone in the APWU,” said President Mark Dimondstein.
“The monetary remedy shows the value of collective persistence and perseverance in the face of USPS unethical behavior,” said Clerk Craft Director Clint Burelson. “Thanks go to Assistant Clerk Craft Director Lamont Brooks, who served as case officer and negotiated the monetary settlement, Assistant Clerk Craft Director Lynn Pallas-Barber for her assistance throughout the case, and Industrial Relations Director Vance Zimmerman for expediting the scheduling of the case.”
Source : APWU.ORG
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