World Postal News.
POSTAL NEWS
No.18 -2018
Formulated by UNI Apro Post and Logistics Sector
AUSTRALIA POST Responds To Claims Made By “A Current Affair” Over Licensees’ Agreements. February 23, 2018.
Three in ten UK SME online retailers don’t export goods. February 22, 2018.
CORREOS promotes training to respond to business challenges. February 21, 2018.
SEKO opens its second biggest logistics facility in Europe. February 21, 2018.
Pressure grows on DPD and Theresa May after courier dies of diabetes. February 6, 2018.
AUSTRALIA POST Responds To Claims Made By “A Current Affair” Over Licensees’ Agreements
February 23, 2018
Australia Post has issued a response to claims made by the news programme “A Current Affair” regarding the company’s agreements with its licensees.
According to a story posted on the 9News.com.au website yesterday (22 February): “At issue is an agreement with Australia Post that was written in 1993.
“It’s barely changed in close to 25 years, and for the most part, licensees are still getting paid the same rate to handle mail, despite the fact that there’s been an explosion of packages and parcels, as a result of internet shopping.
“The agreement doesn’t take into account the size of a parcel, how long licensees need to spend handling the package, or how long it’s stored in their post office.
“For scanning a PO box parcel, licensees only get paid a flat rate of 37c a package.
“Licensees say it’s not enough, and they don’t have the manpower or time to be handling the parcels for that amount of compensation from Australia Post.”
Wollongong Australia Post licensee Angela Cramp told A Current Affair that in 2010 she was “doing 10 hours of unpaid work a day to deal with the parcels” – and she estimated that over the life of her three licensed Post Offices, she’s lost more than $1m “because of the outdated agreement”.
Australia Post has responded by posted the following statement on its own website: “Australia Post deeply respects the important role our licensees play in connecting Australians and serving communities across the country.
“We understand that, like Australia Post, they are facing significant changes in their businesses as consumers change to digital forms of communication, rather than sending letters, and bank branches and other services in many communities reduce.
“We are undertaking a comprehensive review of current payments to licensees. In the last five years Australia Post sales through licensed post offices have remained flat, although the mix of the work they do has changed significantly. We appreciate the pressure this has caused some of our licensees. In this period we have increased their payments by 35% to almost $440m.
“We are also currently undertaking a broader strategic review of Australia Post and, as a priority, we are working closely with our licensees to identify new services that will grow and sustain these businesses and revitalise their roles into the future.”
Source : Post and Parcel
Three in ten UK SME online retailers don’t export goods
February 22, 2018
Two in ten UK SME online retailers don’t import goods and one in ten don’t import or export
Almost two thirds of UK SME online retailers are aiming to increase international sales revenues in 2018
For December 2017, the value of UK exports and imports was £29.6 billion and £39.1 billion, respectively. This suggests a huge opportunity for UK SME online retailers
Four in ten UK SME online retailers have a physical store as well as an online presence and 14% sell via a catalogue
Eight in ten sell via their own website and over half sell on a marketplace
One in ten (11%) UK SME online retailers don’t import or export goods, according to a study commissioned by Royal Mail, the number one facilitator of ecommerce in the UK. One in four (23%) don’t import any goods and 30% don’t export. Despite this, there is a keen appetite for exporting with almost two thirds (64%) aiming to increase international sales revenues in 2018. In December 2017 alone, the value of UK exports and imports was £29.6 billion and £39.1 billion, respectively, according to HM Revenue & Customs. Targeting overseas customers presents a huge opportunity for UK SME online retailers.
The study also found that eight in ten (38%) UK SME online retailers have a physical store as well as a presence online. However, there are additional popular ways to sell goods including via a catalogue (14%), over the telephone (21%) and via exhibitions (12%).
When it comes to how UK SME online retailers sell their products, eight in ten (78%) sell via their own website and over half (54%) sell on a marketplace. Looking to the year ahead, over half (52%) are planning to sell through new channels. In 2018, 15% intend to list products on a marketplace while 18% will use additional marketplace sites.
A spokesperson for Royal Mail Parcels said “The ecommerce sector is becoming increasingly globalised and SME online retailers especially should look at opportunities to expand the international side of their business. There are currently more than two billion internet users in 200 countries, with nearly 100 million of them in English speaking countries. It is a particularly good time for UK businesses to explore exporting options, given the current state of the pound. At Royal Mail, we already support many retail businesses and we look forward to working with even more of them in the future”.
If you are looking to start targeting international customers or to increase your visibility overseas, follow these simple tips from Royal Mail:
Make your delivery charges affordable
Retailers should offer affordable delivery to overseas customers, otherwise they won’t buy. The cost of carriage should not exceed one third of the price of the goods and free delivery is an attractive option for many customers.
Be clear about customs charges
Most non-EU shoppers are concerned about customs charges - many websites have intimidating warnings, suggesting that customs charges can often be prohibitive. However, sales within the EU incur no customs charges at present.
Make sure international payment works
Most international buyers use MasterCard or Visa and Maestro is becoming increasingly popular. Also consider offering Paypal.
Translate your website
If you have identified a target market overseas that is non-English speaking, then translate your website and make sure it is searchable in the target language.
Convert prices
Create a tool that will translate your prices into euros, dollars or the currency of your target markets.
Provide customer support
Unless targeting a country where a majority of the population can speak English (e.g. Sweden, Netherlands), it is important to offer some degree of support in the local language. Offer an email, phone number or live chat support and remember to consider time differences.
Check out the local competition
Make sure you understand the local pricing structures, service expectations and nuances of your target country.
Royal Mail has helped many businesses to sell overseas, including Biscuiteers. Royal Mail enables the company to sell handmade biscuits, chocolates and macaroons all over the world. See more information here.
Source: Royal Mail Group
CORREOS promotes training to respond to business challenges
February 21, 2018
The postal and parcel company takes stock of the training plan of 2017 with more than 1,500,000 hours in which the use of innovative techniques and work processes has been promoted, among other topics, to more than 256,000 participants
CORREOS presents the balance of the company's training plan for 2017 with more than 360 training actions for more than 256,000 participants and an average of 5 courses per employee, of which 55% are women and 45% men. In total they have been more than a million and a half hours, highlighting 47% online and 38% in the workplace, enhancing the use of innovative techniques, innovation, work processes
and corporate tools. Mention to highlight is the ratio of training hours per employee that exceeds 30 hours.
This training plan has responded to needs at the company or strategic, corporate and business level and at the individual level of professionals, seeking to improve employee performance, with the aim of achieving service excellence and the commercialization of New products according to customer's expectations.
At the company level, a training offer has been promoted aligned with the new projects and strategies such as: the School of Products with the aim of becoming the reference space for training, accessible at any time to all the updated information about the products and postal services, thus reinforcing the strategy of diversification and omnichannel of the company. Currently more than 15,000 employees participate in it.
The School of Leadership, provides practical tools to team leaders to improve their management. The Soy Soy Digital Project is aimed at the entire company and responds to the changing reality of new technologies and new forms of relationship in the network.
In addition, the company has offered courses such as " Diversification in CORREOS ", based on the evolution and adaptation of the company to new times and markets; "Transforming with innovation" , a pioneering course in which employees had CorreosPLAY, an app that made it possible to carry out training from mobile devices under gamification techniques, " CORREOS, Tecnología y Servicios Móviles ", which presented how Companies are transformed and adapted to increasingly digital environments and "Secure Information Management ".
In order to promote new ways of learning in 2017, the "Learning Together with Correos" program has been launched with lectures on different subjects of interest in which previously registered employees participate and which, through their video recording, are made available to all students. Postal employees through the intranet, training camps and social networks.
At the level of the different businesses, the training effort has increased remarkably, training more than 96,000 students. It is worth highlighting the training on the new office model, valued very positively as well as the new products through video tutorials with short-term impacts. The training in distribution and logistics has been focused on improving the relationship with the environment, our company's strategic objective: CO2 measurement, energy management, handling of electric vehicles and gas vehicles.
In addition, there has been a great boost in the preparation of the collective of notifications and it has continued to implement all the operational and regulatory training that allows carrying out the work processes of the Company's activity.
At the level of the professionals, training stands out both at the level of knowledge and skills. Likewise, and within the framework of the company's access processes, in the last quarter of 2017 a comprehensive training program for temporary operating personnel was launched, in order to train them in the main functions, tasks, products, services and initiatives of the company. the company prior to its incorporation.
It is worth noting the level of satisfaction of those attending the training activities that exceeds the notable.
Source : Correos .Es ( Spain Post)
SEKO opens its second biggest logistics facility in Europe
February 21, 2018
US transportation firm SEKO Logistics has continued its global expansion with the opening of its second largest operation in Europe at Schiphol Logistics Park in the Netherlands.
The new 80,000ft² (7432m²) facility doubles the size of SEKO’s previous locations in Amsterdam and brings its entire service offering under one roof for cross-border e-commerce, omnichannel, international transportation and fulfilment customers.
The Amsterdam operation provides a further distribution channel into Europe for US retailers and will help to spearhead the development of the company’s final-mile and white glove services across the continent.
Equipped with eight docks and two regular doors for collections and deliveries, the building has a capacity of 5,500 pallet positions and provides over 6,500 storage locations for individual stock units. It also incorporates a 10,000ft² high-value storage cage and a segregated area for dangerous good shipments.
Strategically-located in the heart of Amsterdam’s logistics community, SEKO’s new facility is also BREAAM certified, complying with one the world’s leading sustainability assessments.
Bob van der Putten, managing director of SEKO Logistics, Benelux and Germany, said, “We needed this expansion to keep pace with our growth in the Netherlands, which is being driven by client demand for our e-commerce fulfillment, omnichannel and cross-border expertise.
“Given Amsterdam’s importance at one of world’s leading logistics gateways, it is also the right location to lead the planned development of our final-mile and white glove services in Europe, using the experience we have already gained in the US market. This expansion puts us on track to achieve record growth in the Netherlands in 2018 and serve our clients’ growing needs across the European Union.”
Source : Postal and Parcel Technology International
Pressure grows on DPD and Theresa May after courier dies of diabetes
February 6, 2018
MPs and customers speak out after courier firm fined Don Lane for not finding cover while at doctor’s appointment.
Downing Street’s adviser on modern work has described the death of a diabetic DPD delivery driver as “shocking”, as Marks & Spencer said it would be seeking answers from the parcel company over the driver’s treatment.
Matthew Taylor said the government must urgently address poor quality work in Britain after the Guardian revealed how Don Lane, a 53-year-old father of one, collapsed and died from diabetes after being fined £150 by the courier company for attending a hospital appointment to treat his disease.
Lane missed three other hospital appointments to treat kidney damage, partly because he was afraid of being fined. He collapsed at the wheel of his van while on deliveries a few months before dying in January.
After the Guardian revealed the story, there were signs of a consumer backlash, with shoppers telling DPD and M&S they would consider stopping using them because of Lane’s treatment.
One DPD customer wrote on the firm’s online feedback form: “How about giving them some sick leave. Shocked by reports in the paper. Would think twice about using DPD if that’s how you treat people.”
An M&S customer posted on Twitter: “In future when I order online, especially with M&S, if the delivery company is DPD I shall cancel the order and order with a company which doesn’t use DPD.”
A spokesman for M&S, one of the courier firm’s biggest clients, said it was “very sad” about Lane’s death. It added: “The circumstances will be raised as part of our ongoing discussions with courier providers.”
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Lane worked as a self-employed courier for DPD delivering parcels in Dorset on behalf of M&S, John Lewis and Amazon. The company made more than £100m in profit last year, the equivalent of £20,000 per courier, but does not provide sick pay or paid holiday. After the Guardian revealed the circumstances of Lane’s death, it apologised for fining him in July but denied that when he first collapsed seven months earlier he was threatened with £150 charges.
His death has increased the political pressure for reform of work practices at the bottom of the UK’s labour market. On Wednesday, Downing Street is expected to finally announce its response to employment reforms proposed by Taylor last July, but the backdrop is now a chorus of anger from gig economy workers, consumers, trade unions and MPs united in opposition at how Lane was treated.
The shadow business secretary, Rebecca Long-Bailey, described Lane’s case as heartbreaking. She said: “Bad conditions, bogus self-employment and the non-enforcement of rights have become all too common in Tory Britain and this case shows just how broken the system is. The government must now publish its long overdue response to the Taylor review and finally take action to tackle the Dickensian conditions too often faced by delivery drivers.”
Frances O’Grady, the secretary general of the TUC, said it was “a tragedy”. She said Theresa May’s response would be “an acid test” of the government’s commitment to “creating a Britain that works for all”.
Taylor, who was recruited by May to propose reforms to modern working practices shortly after she entered Downing Street, said:
“Genuine self-employment provides benefits which compensate for the fact that you don’t have sick pay or consultation rights. The problem with the model that Don Lane was working under is that it looks as though you get very little of those upsides. His experience shows we urgently need to address poor quality work, particularly at the bottom of the labour market.”
In Scotland, more than 100 couriers for DPD have joined the GMB trade union and in December withdrew their labour for a day in protest at unilateral changes to their contracts and against the £150 fines.
“It is a shocking story,” said Cal Waterson, a regional GMB organiser. “There has been a strong backlash. We have a member in Scotland who had his licence removed by the DVLA because he didn’t attend his appointments to control his diabetes. He missed the appointments because he couldn’t get time off work.”
There was also widespread solidarity with Lane and his widow, Ruth, from other DPD depots. “£150 is a lot of money for most people so people put their health second in order to provide for their family,” said a DPD courier in Peterborough, who asked not to be named. “They shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it and Theresa May could do something about this but she seems to have no interest in looking after us. Society is getting more and more selfish.”
When first contacted for comment over Lane’s death, DPD said it was shocked and saddened and said it did not know he had previously fallen into a diabetic coma or that he had vomited blood before his death. The firm said Lane had a quiet rural route that was convenient for his hospital appointments.
DPD said on Monday it was ready to discuss customer concerns about Lane’s death. A spokesman said: “Like all companies, we make mistakes, and we have apologised profoundly for a mistake we made in Don’s case.”
A spokesman for the Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy extended deepest sympathies to Lane’s family and said: “Employers must take their employment responsibilities seriously.”
He added: “We recognise concerns that the UK’s flexible labour market is not working fairly for everyone. That’s why we asked Matthew Taylor to review modern working practices and the government will respond to the review shortly.”
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Source : The Guardian.com
POSTAL NEWS
No.19 -2018
Formulated by UNI Apro Post and Logistics Sector
AusPost reports 3% revenue increase for last six months of 2017. February 28, 2018.
Poste Italiane aims to boost profits with restructuring plan. February 27, 2018.
UPS expands express service. February 26, 2018.
Posti selects Tieto as its data centre and cloud services IT partner. February 26, 2018.
Omniva’s turnover grew to nearly one hundred million euros. February 26, 2018.
AusPost reports 3% revenue increase for last six months of 2017
February 28, 2018
Australia Post (AusPost) has reported an increase in group revenues of 3% to A$3.6bn (US$2.8bn) for the second half of 2017, supported by strong parcel growth.
Parcel revenues increased by 8% in the period, outperforming retail sales growth. Competitive pressures affected the domestic parcels earnings growth modestly, but the growth did compensate for the 10% fall in addressed letter volumes.
The group delivered strong inward growth from Asia, with inbound parcel volumes up 45% in the period, with almost all of this growth coming from China.
In contrast, addressed letter volumes fell by more than 26% in the last three years as businesses continue to drive their communications online. However, 2017 letter revenues were temporarily boosted by the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey.
Christine Holgate, group CEO and managing director, AusPost, said, “Two-thirds of AusPost revenues are now in competitive markets and although deliveries were strong and cost savings were encouraging, trading earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) was flat at just 1% growth.
“Reported profit after tax of A$217m (US$170m) was up 65%, or A$86m (US$67m), boosted by benefits from property transactions and other one-off items,” added Holgate. “Due to the strong seasonal nature of our business we expect to again make a loss in the second half.
“We do though forecast a full year profit before tax result in line with last year. Going forward it is critically important we focus on returning Australia Post to sustainable growth.”
The business continues to invest in infrastructure and customer experience while maintaining a healthy cash balance of A$480m (US$377m).
Source : Postal and Parcel Technology International.com
Poste Italiane aims to boost profits with restructuring plan
February 27, 2018
Poste Italiane, Italy’s national postal group and largest employer, has announced a sweeping restructuring plan under which it aims to increase net profits by 13 per cent over the next five years. The company said it will pay a dividend of €0.42 per share for 2017, and increase the payout by 5 per cent per year until 2020. Shares in the company rose 5 per cent by mid-morning. It also said capital expenditure would total €2.8bn over the period as the group, which is Italy’s biggest deliver of packages and parcels and its third-largest financial institution, adjusts to “digitalisation and automation” as Amazon’s online delivery model pushes deeper into Italy. The company hopes to stem falling revenues from its traditional mail service by boosting deliveries of parcels from online retailers like Amazon. It has recently signed an agreement with union workers to ensure parcels can be delivered in the afternoons and on weekends, and now plans to deliver more than 100m parcels a year by 2022, compared to 35m last year. Matteo del Fante, Poste Italiane chief executive, said “each of our segments will take many small steps forward which together will make a giant leap for Poste Italiane”. Under the plan, presented in Milan on Tuesday, the group’s net financial position will increase from €0.8bn in 2017 to €1.7bn in 2022.Analysts at JPMorgan said the new targets were “ambitious but well laid out, and the re-rating of Poste Italiane shares will be driven by demonstrating ongoing execution across the outlined targets”. Kepler analysts added that the “main positive” from the plan was “the dividend policy moving to absolute terms in the first three years”. The new strategy outline is Poste Italiane’s first since Matteo Renzi’s government listed 35 per cent of the business as part of its reform drive in October 2015.It is also the first presentation by Mr Del Fante, who became CEO last year in a management shake-up that saw the exit of well-regarded former boss Francesco Caio. Mr Del Fante, a former JPMorgan banker, has previously held several executive position inside state-owned enterprises, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti and national grid owner Terna.
Source : Financial Times. com
UPS expands express service
February 26, 2018
UPS has expanded its Worldwide Express package service to more than 124 countries and territories, adding 57 new countries and territories last year.
The UPS Worldwide Express service offers guaranteed delivery in 1-3 business days by 10:30am, noon, or 2pm, depending on the destination.
In 2017, the UPS Express service was added to 7,000 new postal codes in countries including, Brazil, India, South Korea, Bangladesh and Madagascar.
“Our international value proposition is to offer a powerful global network and portfolio that connects buyers and sellers through seamless cross-border movements,” said Jim Barber, UPS International president.
“With the latest expansion of UPS Worldwide Express services, we are the industry leader in making this connection in 124 countries and territories, which comprise nearly 96% of the global gross domestic product, and 93% of real imports.”
UPS said that Brazil is the eighth largest economy in the world. Industrial manufacturing and automotive customers depend on UPS Worldwide Express service for critical parts used in production lines.
Meanwhile, imports to India grew by 21% last year. "That growth comes from multiple industries including electronics and industrial machinery," UPS said. "Businesses that are part of these rapidly growing industries can use the newly expanded express service to receive orders earlier than before."
In the Asia Pacific region, South Korea is one of 14 countries included in the expansion of UPS Express service.
"As South Korea continues to lead the way in the auto electronics market, the UPS Express expansion will afford automotive aftermarket manufacturers and distributors located in major industrial areas a competitive edge by connecting them more quickly to other partners across the supply chain," the company said.
Source : aircargonews.net
Posti selects Tieto as its data centre and cloud services IT partner
February 26 , 2018
Finland’s postal service Posti and Tieto have agreed on a partnership covering data centre and cloud services with the objective of modernising Posti’s IT infrastructure.
Responding to a changing industry landscape, Posti focuses on improving both quality and customer experience. The cooperation supports Posti’s business-oriented solutions.
The partnership supports the transformation of Posti’s business, enabling future new services while retaining the strengths of the present ones.
– For Posti, digitalization is the top trend that will change the industry. We selected a partner with whom we can stay on top of industry development and harness real-time information flows for providing better services, says Yrjö Eskola, SVP Operations & interim CIO at Posti Group.
Posti’s strategy puts parcel services and logistics at the spearhead of growth. It also aims at a longer lifecycle of traditional printing services and responding more flexibly to customers’ changing needs.
– New technologies and increasing automation will enable us to improve distribution efficiency, maintain high quality and launch new digital services and business models. Logistics means managing information flows, and each of our services includes a digital element. Examples are delivery chain monitoring and consignment management, he continues.
The service to be delivered to Posti represents Tieto’s core competencies. The partnership agreement aims at strategic improvements enabling Posti to deliver flexible services far into the future.
– We see the partnership as an important opening in Posti’s changing business environment where Tieto’s competencies, services and development efforts contribute to Posti’s entire business. Within this partnership, our solutions, such as robotics, will help develop Posti’s business, enable achieving its strategic objectives and push forward new projects, says Lari Oksanen, Head of Consumer Services Industry at Tieto.
Source: Posti
Omniva’s turnover grew to nearly one hundred million euros
February 26, 2018
In 2017, Omniva Group grew in both the parcels business and information logistics business on its domestic market in the Baltic region.
The revenue from postal services provided in Estonia remained at the level of the year before.
In 2017, the group’s total revenue amounted to 99.8 million euros, which is an increase of 4% compared to the year before. This was most affected by the growth of the parcels business and information logistics business on the domestic market and the fact that we managed to maintain revenue from postal services. Omniva’s subsidiaries in Latvia and Lithuania continued to grow rapidly.
‘In 2017, the company turned 99 years old, which is why it is so symbolic that we earned nearly one hundred million euros in revenue also,’ said Joona Saluveer, Chairman of the Management Board of Omniva. ‘I am especially happy about the fact that this was achieved mostly thanks to our growth in our main business and on our domestic market in the Baltic region.’
Baltic States appreciate parcel machines: rapid growth in parcels business
The group’s sales revenue from parcel services increased by 12% in 2017. The parcel machine service, which is very popular among our customers, showed the fastest growth, as its sales revenue increased by 42% in the Baltic region: 26% in Estonia, 59% in Latvia, and 93% in Lithuania. The increase in the volume of parcel machine services was mostly affected by the rapid development of e-commerce and the continuous expansion of Omniva’s parcel machine network. In total, Omniva delivered 45% more parcels to customers via parcel machines in 2017 than it did in 2016. The sales revenue from courier services grew by 5% in the Baltic region.
Omniva manages the largest parcel machine network in the entire Baltic region. ‘We will continue to expand the network of parcel machines in 2018 and do so in a greater extent than ever before. During the second half of the year, we plan to nearly double the current parcel machine network,’ said Saluveer. ‘At the same time, we are developing new software for the parcel machines, which will help us offer an even better service to our customers.’
Omniva’s subsidiaries in Latvia and Lithuania showed a significantly faster growth throughout the entire group. In 2017, the growth in revenue of the Latvian unit continued – the turnover of both the parcel machine and courier services increased by nearly 50% compared to 2016. To manage the increased parcel machine volumes, the parcel machine network in Latvia was expanded by 30 machines in 2017. The sales revenue of the entire Latvian unit of Omniva increased by 58% compared to 2016, and accounted for more than 4 million euros.
In Lithuania, the sales revenue of Omniva’s parcel machine service almost doubled in 2017. The sales revenue of the entire Lithuanian unit of Omniva increased by 25% compared to 2016 and accounted for more than 4.5 million euros.
Maintaining revenue in international business and postal services
The sales revenue from postal services grew by 0.8% in 2017, i.e. 256 thousand euros. This was mostly affected by the local government elections held in 2017. The volume of domestic letter service continued the downward trend of previous years, falling by 12% compared to 2016.
The company continued issuing the innovative postage stamps in 2017, adding a cinnamon-scented and special-shaped Christmas postage stamp to the series.
‘As letters and postcards now mostly communicate emotions, not information, special postage stamps help encourage people to send letters and support maintaining revenue from postal services,’ said Saluveer. ‘The importance of making people feel emotions is also confirmed by the fact that despite the overall decline in the letter service, letter volumes were at the level of the previous year in December 2017.’
Last year, the sales revenue from international business was nearly 29 million euros, similarly to the year 2016. The essence of international business is primarily the transit of Chinese goods across the world. In 2017, parcels were shipped to nearly 100 countries. Most shipments were delivered to the Baltic States, Eastern Europe, and Scandinavia.
Growth of the Information Logistics Business and the Invoice Centre
In the Baltic States, sales revenue of Omniva’s Information Logistics Business increased by 26% in 2017, reaching 1.8 million euros. Omniva’s Information Logistics Business services include accepting purchase and sales invoices both electronically and on paper, managing invoices, and issuing them electronically.
The Invoice Centre, subsidiary of the group, grew twice in 2017. Its sales revenue increased by 101% compared to 2016. In 2018, the Invoice Centre plans to continue improving the existing IT platform and expand its activities on the Latvian market. Omniva has a 57% holding in the Invoice Centre and aims to increase the added value to clients who are online merchants by combining logistics and payment solutions.
Costs and investments
The group’s costs amounted to 99 million euros in 2017, which is 5% more than the year before. The increase in growth was affected by the increase in labour costs (including that of the minimum wage) and the biggest frontline salary increase in years.
In 2017, the group’s investments amounted to 3,670 thousand euros (compared to 7,726 thousand euros in 2016). Most investments were made in means of transport, parcel machines, equipment, and software.
Audited results will be published later this year.
Omniva Group mainly operates in the provision of postal, logistics, and information logistics services, and processing e-invoices. In addition to the parent company AS Eesti Post, the group involves subsidiaries and related companies. The principal activity of SIA Omniva and UAB Omniva LT is the provision of parcel machine and courier services on the Latvian and Lithuanian market. AS Maksekeskus offers payment solutions to e-commerce companies in the Baltic region. OÜ Post11 provides holistic logistics solutions for delivering goods across the world.
Source: Posteurop.Org
POSTAL NEWS
No.18 -2018
Formulated by UNI Apro Post and Logistics Sector
AUSTRALIA POST Responds To Claims Made By “A Current Affair” Over Licensees’ Agreements. February 23, 2018.
Three in ten UK SME online retailers don’t export goods. February 22, 2018.
CORREOS promotes training to respond to business challenges. February 21, 2018.
SEKO opens its second biggest logistics facility in Europe. February 21, 2018.
Pressure grows on DPD and Theresa May after courier dies of diabetes. February 6, 2018.
AUSTRALIA POST Responds To Claims Made By “A Current Affair” Over Licensees’ Agreements
February 23, 2018
Australia Post has issued a response to claims made by the news programme “A Current Affair” regarding the company’s agreements with its licensees.
According to a story posted on the 9News.com.au website yesterday (22 February): “At issue is an agreement with Australia Post that was written in 1993.
“It’s barely changed in close to 25 years, and for the most part, licensees are still getting paid the same rate to handle mail, despite the fact that there’s been an explosion of packages and parcels, as a result of internet shopping.
“The agreement doesn’t take into account the size of a parcel, how long licensees need to spend handling the package, or how long it’s stored in their post office.
“For scanning a PO box parcel, licensees only get paid a flat rate of 37c a package.
“Licensees say it’s not enough, and they don’t have the manpower or time to be handling the parcels for that amount of compensation from Australia Post.”
Wollongong Australia Post licensee Angela Cramp told A Current Affair that in 2010 she was “doing 10 hours of unpaid work a day to deal with the parcels” – and she estimated that over the life of her three licensed Post Offices, she’s lost more than $1m “because of the outdated agreement”.
Australia Post has responded by posted the following statement on its own website: “Australia Post deeply respects the important role our licensees play in connecting Australians and serving communities across the country.
“We understand that, like Australia Post, they are facing significant changes in their businesses as consumers change to digital forms of communication, rather than sending letters, and bank branches and other services in many communities reduce.
“We are undertaking a comprehensive review of current payments to licensees. In the last five years Australia Post sales through licensed post offices have remained flat, although the mix of the work they do has changed significantly. We appreciate the pressure this has caused some of our licensees. In this period we have increased their payments by 35% to almost $440m.
“We are also currently undertaking a broader strategic review of Australia Post and, as a priority, we are working closely with our licensees to identify new services that will grow and sustain these businesses and revitalise their roles into the future.”
Source : Post and Parcel
Three in ten UK SME online retailers don’t export goods
February 22, 2018
Two in ten UK SME online retailers don’t import goods and one in ten don’t import or export
Almost two thirds of UK SME online retailers are aiming to increase international sales revenues in 2018
For December 2017, the value of UK exports and imports was £29.6 billion and £39.1 billion, respectively. This suggests a huge opportunity for UK SME online retailers
Four in ten UK SME online retailers have a physical store as well as an online presence and 14% sell via a catalogue
Eight in ten sell via their own website and over half sell on a marketplace
One in ten (11%) UK SME online retailers don’t import or export goods, according to a study commissioned by Royal Mail, the number one facilitator of ecommerce in the UK. One in four (23%) don’t import any goods and 30% don’t export. Despite this, there is a keen appetite for exporting with almost two thirds (64%) aiming to increase international sales revenues in 2018. In December 2017 alone, the value of UK exports and imports was £29.6 billion and £39.1 billion, respectively, according to HM Revenue & Customs. Targeting overseas customers presents a huge opportunity for UK SME online retailers.
The study also found that eight in ten (38%) UK SME online retailers have a physical store as well as a presence online. However, there are additional popular ways to sell goods including via a catalogue (14%), over the telephone (21%) and via exhibitions (12%).
When it comes to how UK SME online retailers sell their products, eight in ten (78%) sell via their own website and over half (54%) sell on a marketplace. Looking to the year ahead, over half (52%) are planning to sell through new channels. In 2018, 15% intend to list products on a marketplace while 18% will use additional marketplace sites.
A spokesperson for Royal Mail Parcels said “The ecommerce sector is becoming increasingly globalised and SME online retailers especially should look at opportunities to expand the international side of their business. There are currently more than two billion internet users in 200 countries, with nearly 100 million of them in English speaking countries. It is a particularly good time for UK businesses to explore exporting options, given the current state of the pound. At Royal Mail, we already support many retail businesses and we look forward to working with even more of them in the future”.
If you are looking to start targeting international customers or to increase your visibility overseas, follow these simple tips from Royal Mail:
Make your delivery charges affordable
Retailers should offer affordable delivery to overseas customers, otherwise they won’t buy. The cost of carriage should not exceed one third of the price of the goods and free delivery is an attractive option for many customers.
Be clear about customs charges
Most non-EU shoppers are concerned about customs charges - many websites have intimidating warnings, suggesting that customs charges can often be prohibitive. However, sales within the EU incur no customs charges at present.
Make sure international payment works
Most international buyers use MasterCard or Visa and Maestro is becoming increasingly popular. Also consider offering Paypal.
Translate your website
If you have identified a target market overseas that is non-English speaking, then translate your website and make sure it is searchable in the target language.
Convert prices
Create a tool that will translate your prices into euros, dollars or the currency of your target markets.
Provide customer support
Unless targeting a country where a majority of the population can speak English (e.g. Sweden, Netherlands), it is important to offer some degree of support in the local language. Offer an email, phone number or live chat support and remember to consider time differences.
Check out the local competition
Make sure you understand the local pricing structures, service expectations and nuances of your target country.
Royal Mail has helped many businesses to sell overseas, including Biscuiteers. Royal Mail enables the company to sell handmade biscuits, chocolates and macaroons all over the world. See more information here.
Source: Royal Mail Group
CORREOS promotes training to respond to business challenges
February 21, 2018
The postal and parcel company takes stock of the training plan of 2017 with more than 1,500,000 hours in which the use of innovative techniques and work processes has been promoted, among other topics, to more than 256,000 participants
CORREOS presents the balance of the company's training plan for 2017 with more than 360 training actions for more than 256,000 participants and an average of 5 courses per employee, of which 55% are women and 45% men. In total they have been more than a million and a half hours, highlighting 47% online and 38% in the workplace, enhancing the use of innovative techniques, innovation, work processes
and corporate tools. Mention to highlight is the ratio of training hours per employee that exceeds 30 hours.
This training plan has responded to needs at the company or strategic, corporate and business level and at the individual level of professionals, seeking to improve employee performance, with the aim of achieving service excellence and the commercialization of New products according to customer's expectations.
At the company level, a training offer has been promoted aligned with the new projects and strategies such as: the School of Products with the aim of becoming the reference space for training, accessible at any time to all the updated information about the products and postal services, thus reinforcing the strategy of diversification and omnichannel of the company. Currently more than 15,000 employees participate in it.
The School of Leadership, provides practical tools to team leaders to improve their management. The Soy Soy Digital Project is aimed at the entire company and responds to the changing reality of new technologies and new forms of relationship in the network.
In addition, the company has offered courses such as " Diversification in CORREOS ", based on the evolution and adaptation of the company to new times and markets; "Transforming with innovation" , a pioneering course in which employees had CorreosPLAY, an app that made it possible to carry out training from mobile devices under gamification techniques, " CORREOS, Tecnología y Servicios Móviles ", which presented how Companies are transformed and adapted to increasingly digital environments and "Secure Information Management ".
In order to promote new ways of learning in 2017, the "Learning Together with Correos" program has been launched with lectures on different subjects of interest in which previously registered employees participate and which, through their video recording, are made available to all students. Postal employees through the intranet, training camps and social networks.
At the level of the different businesses, the training effort has increased remarkably, training more than 96,000 students. It is worth highlighting the training on the new office model, valued very positively as well as the new products through video tutorials with short-term impacts. The training in distribution and logistics has been focused on improving the relationship with the environment, our company's strategic objective: CO2 measurement, energy management, handling of electric vehicles and gas vehicles.
In addition, there has been a great boost in the preparation of the collective of notifications and it has continued to implement all the operational and regulatory training that allows carrying out the work processes of the Company's activity.
At the level of the professionals, training stands out both at the level of knowledge and skills. Likewise, and within the framework of the company's access processes, in the last quarter of 2017 a comprehensive training program for temporary operating personnel was launched, in order to train them in the main functions, tasks, products, services and initiatives of the company. the company prior to its incorporation.
It is worth noting the level of satisfaction of those attending the training activities that exceeds the notable.
Source : Correos .Es ( Spain Post)
SEKO opens its second biggest logistics facility in Europe
February 21, 2018
US transportation firm SEKO Logistics has continued its global expansion with the opening of its second largest operation in Europe at Schiphol Logistics Park in the Netherlands.
The new 80,000ft² (7432m²) facility doubles the size of SEKO’s previous locations in Amsterdam and brings its entire service offering under one roof for cross-border e-commerce, omnichannel, international transportation and fulfilment customers.
The Amsterdam operation provides a further distribution channel into Europe for US retailers and will help to spearhead the development of the company’s final-mile and white glove services across the continent.
Equipped with eight docks and two regular doors for collections and deliveries, the building has a capacity of 5,500 pallet positions and provides over 6,500 storage locations for individual stock units. It also incorporates a 10,000ft² high-value storage cage and a segregated area for dangerous good shipments.
Strategically-located in the heart of Amsterdam’s logistics community, SEKO’s new facility is also BREAAM certified, complying with one the world’s leading sustainability assessments.
Bob van der Putten, managing director of SEKO Logistics, Benelux and Germany, said, “We needed this expansion to keep pace with our growth in the Netherlands, which is being driven by client demand for our e-commerce fulfillment, omnichannel and cross-border expertise.
“Given Amsterdam’s importance at one of world’s leading logistics gateways, it is also the right location to lead the planned development of our final-mile and white glove services in Europe, using the experience we have already gained in the US market. This expansion puts us on track to achieve record growth in the Netherlands in 2018 and serve our clients’ growing needs across the European Union.”
Source : Postal and Parcel Technology International
Pressure grows on DPD and Theresa May after courier dies of diabetes
February 6, 2018
MPs and customers speak out after courier firm fined Don Lane for not finding cover while at doctor’s appointment.
Downing Street’s adviser on modern work has described the death of a diabetic DPD delivery driver as “shocking”, as Marks & Spencer said it would be seeking answers from the parcel company over the driver’s treatment.
Matthew Taylor said the government must urgently address poor quality work in Britain after the Guardian revealed how Don Lane, a 53-year-old father of one, collapsed and died from diabetes after being fined £150 by the courier company for attending a hospital appointment to treat his disease.
Lane missed three other hospital appointments to treat kidney damage, partly because he was afraid of being fined. He collapsed at the wheel of his van while on deliveries a few months before dying in January.
After the Guardian revealed the story, there were signs of a consumer backlash, with shoppers telling DPD and M&S they would consider stopping using them because of Lane’s treatment.
One DPD customer wrote on the firm’s online feedback form: “How about giving them some sick leave. Shocked by reports in the paper. Would think twice about using DPD if that’s how you treat people.”
An M&S customer posted on Twitter: “In future when I order online, especially with M&S, if the delivery company is DPD I shall cancel the order and order with a company which doesn’t use DPD.”
A spokesman for M&S, one of the courier firm’s biggest clients, said it was “very sad” about Lane’s death. It added: “The circumstances will be raised as part of our ongoing discussions with courier providers.”
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Lane worked as a self-employed courier for DPD delivering parcels in Dorset on behalf of M&S, John Lewis and Amazon. The company made more than £100m in profit last year, the equivalent of £20,000 per courier, but does not provide sick pay or paid holiday. After the Guardian revealed the circumstances of Lane’s death, it apologised for fining him in July but denied that when he first collapsed seven months earlier he was threatened with £150 charges.
His death has increased the political pressure for reform of work practices at the bottom of the UK’s labour market. On Wednesday, Downing Street is expected to finally announce its response to employment reforms proposed by Taylor last July, but the backdrop is now a chorus of anger from gig economy workers, consumers, trade unions and MPs united in opposition at how Lane was treated.
The shadow business secretary, Rebecca Long-Bailey, described Lane’s case as heartbreaking. She said: “Bad conditions, bogus self-employment and the non-enforcement of rights have become all too common in Tory Britain and this case shows just how broken the system is. The government must now publish its long overdue response to the Taylor review and finally take action to tackle the Dickensian conditions too often faced by delivery drivers.”
Frances O’Grady, the secretary general of the TUC, said it was “a tragedy”. She said Theresa May’s response would be “an acid test” of the government’s commitment to “creating a Britain that works for all”.
Taylor, who was recruited by May to propose reforms to modern working practices shortly after she entered Downing Street, said:
“Genuine self-employment provides benefits which compensate for the fact that you don’t have sick pay or consultation rights. The problem with the model that Don Lane was working under is that it looks as though you get very little of those upsides. His experience shows we urgently need to address poor quality work, particularly at the bottom of the labour market.”
In Scotland, more than 100 couriers for DPD have joined the GMB trade union and in December withdrew their labour for a day in protest at unilateral changes to their contracts and against the £150 fines.
“It is a shocking story,” said Cal Waterson, a regional GMB organiser. “There has been a strong backlash. We have a member in Scotland who had his licence removed by the DVLA because he didn’t attend his appointments to control his diabetes. He missed the appointments because he couldn’t get time off work.”
There was also widespread solidarity with Lane and his widow, Ruth, from other DPD depots. “£150 is a lot of money for most people so people put their health second in order to provide for their family,” said a DPD courier in Peterborough, who asked not to be named. “They shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it and Theresa May could do something about this but she seems to have no interest in looking after us. Society is getting more and more selfish.”
When first contacted for comment over Lane’s death, DPD said it was shocked and saddened and said it did not know he had previously fallen into a diabetic coma or that he had vomited blood before his death. The firm said Lane had a quiet rural route that was convenient for his hospital appointments.
DPD said on Monday it was ready to discuss customer concerns about Lane’s death. A spokesman said: “Like all companies, we make mistakes, and we have apologised profoundly for a mistake we made in Don’s case.”
A spokesman for the Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy extended deepest sympathies to Lane’s family and said: “Employers must take their employment responsibilities seriously.”
He added: “We recognise concerns that the UK’s flexible labour market is not working fairly for everyone. That’s why we asked Matthew Taylor to review modern working practices and the government will respond to the review shortly.”
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POSTAL NEWS
No.19 -2018
Formulated by UNI Apro Post and Logistics Sector
AusPost reports 3% revenue increase for last six months of 2017. February 28, 2018.
Poste Italiane aims to boost profits with restructuring plan. February 27, 2018.
UPS expands express service. February 26, 2018.
Posti selects Tieto as its data centre and cloud services IT partner. February 26, 2018.
Omniva’s turnover grew to nearly one hundred million euros. February 26, 2018.
AusPost reports 3% revenue increase for last six months of 2017
February 28, 2018
Australia Post (AusPost) has reported an increase in group revenues of 3% to A$3.6bn (US$2.8bn) for the second half of 2017, supported by strong parcel growth.
Parcel revenues increased by 8% in the period, outperforming retail sales growth. Competitive pressures affected the domestic parcels earnings growth modestly, but the growth did compensate for the 10% fall in addressed letter volumes.
The group delivered strong inward growth from Asia, with inbound parcel volumes up 45% in the period, with almost all of this growth coming from China.
In contrast, addressed letter volumes fell by more than 26% in the last three years as businesses continue to drive their communications online. However, 2017 letter revenues were temporarily boosted by the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey.
Christine Holgate, group CEO and managing director, AusPost, said, “Two-thirds of AusPost revenues are now in competitive markets and although deliveries were strong and cost savings were encouraging, trading earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) was flat at just 1% growth.
“Reported profit after tax of A$217m (US$170m) was up 65%, or A$86m (US$67m), boosted by benefits from property transactions and other one-off items,” added Holgate. “Due to the strong seasonal nature of our business we expect to again make a loss in the second half.
“We do though forecast a full year profit before tax result in line with last year. Going forward it is critically important we focus on returning Australia Post to sustainable growth.”
The business continues to invest in infrastructure and customer experience while maintaining a healthy cash balance of A$480m (US$377m).
Source : Postal and Parcel Technology International.com
Poste Italiane aims to boost profits with restructuring plan
February 27, 2018
Poste Italiane, Italy’s national postal group and largest employer, has announced a sweeping restructuring plan under which it aims to increase net profits by 13 per cent over the next five years. The company said it will pay a dividend of €0.42 per share for 2017, and increase the payout by 5 per cent per year until 2020. Shares in the company rose 5 per cent by mid-morning. It also said capital expenditure would total €2.8bn over the period as the group, which is Italy’s biggest deliver of packages and parcels and its third-largest financial institution, adjusts to “digitalisation and automation” as Amazon’s online delivery model pushes deeper into Italy. The company hopes to stem falling revenues from its traditional mail service by boosting deliveries of parcels from online retailers like Amazon. It has recently signed an agreement with union workers to ensure parcels can be delivered in the afternoons and on weekends, and now plans to deliver more than 100m parcels a year by 2022, compared to 35m last year. Matteo del Fante, Poste Italiane chief executive, said “each of our segments will take many small steps forward which together will make a giant leap for Poste Italiane”. Under the plan, presented in Milan on Tuesday, the group’s net financial position will increase from €0.8bn in 2017 to €1.7bn in 2022.Analysts at JPMorgan said the new targets were “ambitious but well laid out, and the re-rating of Poste Italiane shares will be driven by demonstrating ongoing execution across the outlined targets”. Kepler analysts added that the “main positive” from the plan was “the dividend policy moving to absolute terms in the first three years”. The new strategy outline is Poste Italiane’s first since Matteo Renzi’s government listed 35 per cent of the business as part of its reform drive in October 2015.It is also the first presentation by Mr Del Fante, who became CEO last year in a management shake-up that saw the exit of well-regarded former boss Francesco Caio. Mr Del Fante, a former JPMorgan banker, has previously held several executive position inside state-owned enterprises, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti and national grid owner Terna.
Source : Financial Times. com
UPS expands express service
February 26, 2018
UPS has expanded its Worldwide Express package service to more than 124 countries and territories, adding 57 new countries and territories last year.
The UPS Worldwide Express service offers guaranteed delivery in 1-3 business days by 10:30am, noon, or 2pm, depending on the destination.
In 2017, the UPS Express service was added to 7,000 new postal codes in countries including, Brazil, India, South Korea, Bangladesh and Madagascar.
“Our international value proposition is to offer a powerful global network and portfolio that connects buyers and sellers through seamless cross-border movements,” said Jim Barber, UPS International president.
“With the latest expansion of UPS Worldwide Express services, we are the industry leader in making this connection in 124 countries and territories, which comprise nearly 96% of the global gross domestic product, and 93% of real imports.”
UPS said that Brazil is the eighth largest economy in the world. Industrial manufacturing and automotive customers depend on UPS Worldwide Express service for critical parts used in production lines.
Meanwhile, imports to India grew by 21% last year. "That growth comes from multiple industries including electronics and industrial machinery," UPS said. "Businesses that are part of these rapidly growing industries can use the newly expanded express service to receive orders earlier than before."
In the Asia Pacific region, South Korea is one of 14 countries included in the expansion of UPS Express service.
"As South Korea continues to lead the way in the auto electronics market, the UPS Express expansion will afford automotive aftermarket manufacturers and distributors located in major industrial areas a competitive edge by connecting them more quickly to other partners across the supply chain," the company said.
Source : aircargonews.net
Posti selects Tieto as its data centre and cloud services IT partner
February 26 , 2018
Finland’s postal service Posti and Tieto have agreed on a partnership covering data centre and cloud services with the objective of modernising Posti’s IT infrastructure.
Responding to a changing industry landscape, Posti focuses on improving both quality and customer experience. The cooperation supports Posti’s business-oriented solutions.
The partnership supports the transformation of Posti’s business, enabling future new services while retaining the strengths of the present ones.
– For Posti, digitalization is the top trend that will change the industry. We selected a partner with whom we can stay on top of industry development and harness real-time information flows for providing better services, says Yrjö Eskola, SVP Operations & interim CIO at Posti Group.
Posti’s strategy puts parcel services and logistics at the spearhead of growth. It also aims at a longer lifecycle of traditional printing services and responding more flexibly to customers’ changing needs.
– New technologies and increasing automation will enable us to improve distribution efficiency, maintain high quality and launch new digital services and business models. Logistics means managing information flows, and each of our services includes a digital element. Examples are delivery chain monitoring and consignment management, he continues.
The service to be delivered to Posti represents Tieto’s core competencies. The partnership agreement aims at strategic improvements enabling Posti to deliver flexible services far into the future.
– We see the partnership as an important opening in Posti’s changing business environment where Tieto’s competencies, services and development efforts contribute to Posti’s entire business. Within this partnership, our solutions, such as robotics, will help develop Posti’s business, enable achieving its strategic objectives and push forward new projects, says Lari Oksanen, Head of Consumer Services Industry at Tieto.
Source: Posti
Omniva’s turnover grew to nearly one hundred million euros
February 26, 2018
In 2017, Omniva Group grew in both the parcels business and information logistics business on its domestic market in the Baltic region.
The revenue from postal services provided in Estonia remained at the level of the year before.
In 2017, the group’s total revenue amounted to 99.8 million euros, which is an increase of 4% compared to the year before. This was most affected by the growth of the parcels business and information logistics business on the domestic market and the fact that we managed to maintain revenue from postal services. Omniva’s subsidiaries in Latvia and Lithuania continued to grow rapidly.
‘In 2017, the company turned 99 years old, which is why it is so symbolic that we earned nearly one hundred million euros in revenue also,’ said Joona Saluveer, Chairman of the Management Board of Omniva. ‘I am especially happy about the fact that this was achieved mostly thanks to our growth in our main business and on our domestic market in the Baltic region.’
Baltic States appreciate parcel machines: rapid growth in parcels business
The group’s sales revenue from parcel services increased by 12% in 2017. The parcel machine service, which is very popular among our customers, showed the fastest growth, as its sales revenue increased by 42% in the Baltic region: 26% in Estonia, 59% in Latvia, and 93% in Lithuania. The increase in the volume of parcel machine services was mostly affected by the rapid development of e-commerce and the continuous expansion of Omniva’s parcel machine network. In total, Omniva delivered 45% more parcels to customers via parcel machines in 2017 than it did in 2016. The sales revenue from courier services grew by 5% in the Baltic region.
Omniva manages the largest parcel machine network in the entire Baltic region. ‘We will continue to expand the network of parcel machines in 2018 and do so in a greater extent than ever before. During the second half of the year, we plan to nearly double the current parcel machine network,’ said Saluveer. ‘At the same time, we are developing new software for the parcel machines, which will help us offer an even better service to our customers.’
Omniva’s subsidiaries in Latvia and Lithuania showed a significantly faster growth throughout the entire group. In 2017, the growth in revenue of the Latvian unit continued – the turnover of both the parcel machine and courier services increased by nearly 50% compared to 2016. To manage the increased parcel machine volumes, the parcel machine network in Latvia was expanded by 30 machines in 2017. The sales revenue of the entire Latvian unit of Omniva increased by 58% compared to 2016, and accounted for more than 4 million euros.
In Lithuania, the sales revenue of Omniva’s parcel machine service almost doubled in 2017. The sales revenue of the entire Lithuanian unit of Omniva increased by 25% compared to 2016 and accounted for more than 4.5 million euros.
Maintaining revenue in international business and postal services
The sales revenue from postal services grew by 0.8% in 2017, i.e. 256 thousand euros. This was mostly affected by the local government elections held in 2017. The volume of domestic letter service continued the downward trend of previous years, falling by 12% compared to 2016.
The company continued issuing the innovative postage stamps in 2017, adding a cinnamon-scented and special-shaped Christmas postage stamp to the series.
‘As letters and postcards now mostly communicate emotions, not information, special postage stamps help encourage people to send letters and support maintaining revenue from postal services,’ said Saluveer. ‘The importance of making people feel emotions is also confirmed by the fact that despite the overall decline in the letter service, letter volumes were at the level of the previous year in December 2017.’
Last year, the sales revenue from international business was nearly 29 million euros, similarly to the year 2016. The essence of international business is primarily the transit of Chinese goods across the world. In 2017, parcels were shipped to nearly 100 countries. Most shipments were delivered to the Baltic States, Eastern Europe, and Scandinavia.
Growth of the Information Logistics Business and the Invoice Centre
In the Baltic States, sales revenue of Omniva’s Information Logistics Business increased by 26% in 2017, reaching 1.8 million euros. Omniva’s Information Logistics Business services include accepting purchase and sales invoices both electronically and on paper, managing invoices, and issuing them electronically.
The Invoice Centre, subsidiary of the group, grew twice in 2017. Its sales revenue increased by 101% compared to 2016. In 2018, the Invoice Centre plans to continue improving the existing IT platform and expand its activities on the Latvian market. Omniva has a 57% holding in the Invoice Centre and aims to increase the added value to clients who are online merchants by combining logistics and payment solutions.
Costs and investments
The group’s costs amounted to 99 million euros in 2017, which is 5% more than the year before. The increase in growth was affected by the increase in labour costs (including that of the minimum wage) and the biggest frontline salary increase in years.
In 2017, the group’s investments amounted to 3,670 thousand euros (compared to 7,726 thousand euros in 2016). Most investments were made in means of transport, parcel machines, equipment, and software.
Audited results will be published later this year.
Omniva Group mainly operates in the provision of postal, logistics, and information logistics services, and processing e-invoices. In addition to the parent company AS Eesti Post, the group involves subsidiaries and related companies. The principal activity of SIA Omniva and UAB Omniva LT is the provision of parcel machine and courier services on the Latvian and Lithuanian market. AS Maksekeskus offers payment solutions to e-commerce companies in the Baltic region. OÜ Post11 provides holistic logistics solutions for delivering goods across the world.
Source: Posteurop.Org