POSTAL NEWS
No 11-2021
Formulated by UNI Apro Post and Logistics Sector
1. Royal Mail reports busiest period for parcels in its history. February 12, 2021.
2. NZ Post research shows Kiwis spent over a billion dollars more online in 2020 than in 2019. February 11, 2021.
3. Significant investment: Logistics company Transval to get a EUR 37 million warehouse. February 10, 2021.
4. SF Holding set for $2.3bn Kerry Logistics investment.
February 10, 2021.
5. New! COGAS* financial contribution on private lessons!
February 08, 2021.
1. Royal Mail reports busiest period for parcels in its history
February 12, 2021
The UK’s Royal Mail reports that the third quarter of the financial year to December 2020 was the busiest the business’s parcel service has ever seen. At its peak, 11.7 million parcels were delivered on a single day, 32% higher than the busiest day it recorded during the UK’s first national lockdown in spring 2020.
Keith Williams, non-executive chair on the Royal Mail board, commented, “The third quarter saw unprecedented parcel volumes in Royal Mail, driven by online shopping and the peak Christmas period, with 496 million parcels handled, the busiest in our company’s long history.
“The decline in addressed letter volumes slowed to 14% in Q3, with a decline of 9% in December, compared to around a third earlier in the year, excluding the impact of elections. GLS also saw elevated volumes and delivered 228 million parcels in the third quarter, growth of 27%.
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“Given these record volumes, we recognize that at times our service during the period was not always as we would have wished. But thanks to the efforts of our team, the retention of around 10,000 of the 33,000 flexible workers from the Christmas peak, and the introduction of new processes, we have been making encouraging progress. We are resolutely focused on delivering a comprehensive service despite the challenging circumstances.”
Source : https://www.parcelandpostaltechnologyinternational.com/news
2. NZ Post research shows Kiwis spent over a billion dollars more online in 2020 than in 2019
February 11, 2021
NZ Post’s eCommerce Spotlight research into how COVID-19 has impacted the way Kiwis shop online shows that New Zealanders spent a total of $5.8 billion online in 2020, about $1.2 billion more than in 2019.
“This is an incredible result,” says NZ Post General Manager of Business Marketing, Chris Wong. “Our research throughout 2020 showed that online shopping was continuing to increase, and now that the year has finished we’ve conducted research that shows Kiwis spent more online last year than ever before, with 2020 online sales up 25% on the year before. The good news for Kiwi businesses is that 71% of all online spend was with domestic retailers.”
“2020 was the year online shopping stepped on the accelerator. Early in the year, before COVID-19 started to impact us in New Zealand, spending numbers were up about 12-15% in the first few months. Then COVID-19 hit and this changed the shopping landscape in a major way, especially during lockdown when physical stores were inaccessible to most.
“Those already online spent more often across more sectors and those who hadn’t tried online shopping before discovered its ease and convenience – with more than 305,000 New Zealanders shopping online for the first time ever in 2020,” says Chris Wong.
The year ended on a strong note. Kiwis spent $538m online in December, up 17% on the same month in 2019, making it the best December in history for online shopping. Off the back of a strong November, this resulted in a final quarter of 2020 that was 19% up on the same quarter in 2019.
This reflects the number of parcels seen by NZ Post in the lead up to Christmas. “Our people worked hard in the lead up to Christmas to get Kiwis' parcels where they needed to be on time. We delivered 15.3 million parcels across November and December – that’s about 6 parcels delivered every second. We brought on hundreds of extra people, flights, vans and additional sites to deliver this record-breaking Christmas for Kiwis.”
“While 2020 was a good year for online shopping, it’s important to note that it only makes up 11% of all our shopping. Going to the shops is still how most Kiwis choose to shop. For example, in the UK, US and China over 20% of all spending is online. This suggests that, even after this year’s boom, there is plenty of room for further growth for local online retailers,” says Chris Wong.
Source : https://www.nzpost.co.nz/about-us/media-centre/media-release
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3. Significant investment: Logistics company Transval to get a EUR 37 million warehouse
February 10, 2021
The 30,000 m2/400,000 m3 warehouse built for logistics company Transval is the latest significant investment in logistics in Finland. Construction work on the 6.5 ha plot in Bastukärr, Sipoo, will commence in February. Larger than four soccer fields, the warehouse will be completed in 2022. The total cost of purchasing the plot and constructing the warehouse is approximately EUR 37 million.
“For us, this is a significant investment. We are proud to be able to provide our customers with a responsible warehousing service utilizing new technologies and automation. Two million euros are invested in green energy solutions.
Our investment in the new warehouse is in line with our goal of growing as a logistics outsourcing solution and material management service provider as well as ensuring our role as a pioneer and market leader in Finland. According to projections, the logistics outsourcing rate of companies operating in Finland will grow by roughly 20% in the next 10 years,” says Sakari Kiiskinen, SVP, Transval.
According to Kiiskinen, there is demand among businesses for efficient, diverse and environmentally responsible warehousing services.
A significant driving force behind the need to outsource logistics, such as a warehouse, is the ability to flexibly adjust the number of employees and competence required to provide a physical space and service to companies’ current requirements. At seasonal peak times, companies require significantly more space for their products than normally. According to Kiiskinen, other drivers include risk-sharing, utilizing new logistics technologies and know-how provided by a partner as well as the need of companies to focus on their own core business.
“Especially in exceptional circumstances, companies are well-advised to ensure a sufficient warehousing buffer, i.e. they should have products in warehouses that are geographically located in Finland to reduce their dependence on imports in exceptional circumstances. The facility built in Sipoo is specifically designed for the needs of import, food, wholesaling and retail. The decision regarding the ability to control temperature in the warehouse will be made at the start of the year.”
Two million euros invested in green energy solutions
There is a plan in place to invest EUR 2 million in so-called green energy solutions during the construction stage.
“During construction, we will make choices regarding the building’s energy-efficiency and CO2 emissions. For instance, we will utilize geothermal heat solutions for heating the building and solar power for producing electricity. Controlling the technical systems of the property will be largely based on advanced automation solutions to ensure the energy-efficient use of the property. All energy which is not produced on-site will be purchased as carbon-free energy,” says Kiiskinen.
Transval and its parent company Posti companies are 100% carbon neutral through compensation.
According to Pirjo Sirén, the development manager of the municipality of Sipoo, this is one of the most significant investments made in Sipoo.
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“We are very grateful that, thanks to fruitful cooperation, the Bastukärr area are will now receive a modern, sustainable warehouse. The jobs related to the project are also very welcome.”
Warehouse to utilize cutting-edge technology and automation
In addition to fixed storage shelving, the warehouse will include electronically controlled mobile shelf systems. The mobile shelves will double the storage capacity of a similar-size areas compared to fixed shelving. A third of the nearly 60 electric forklift trucks planned for the space will be unmanned, i.e. automatic. The forklift trucks will be controlled by means of laser navigation.
The articulated vehicles arriving at the warehouse will be directed using a digital control system, which automatically identifies the vehicles and directs them to a pre-planned unloading/loading dock. All in all, the warehouse will have 28 loading docks for articulated vehicles and 10 loading docks for vans.
Warehouse to provide approximately 100 jobs
As things stand, Transval’s new warehouse in Sipoo will provide jobs for 100 logistics professionals. The planned staff facilities will accommodate up to 150 employees.
“All in all, Transval employs roughly 5,000 logistics professionals. About 1,000 employees work at our own warehouses. The rest are located on our customers’ premises at factories, production facilities, terminals, harbors or, for instance, shops and stores,” says Kiiskinen.
Source : https://www.posti.com/en/media/media-news/2021
4. SF Holding set for $2.3bn Kerry Logistics investment
February 10, 2021
Express firm SF Holding is set to buy a majority stake in Kerry Logistics as it looks to build its international supply chain presence.
The proposed deal will see SF Holding take a 51.8% stake in Kerry Logistics, with the deal valued at around $2.3bn.
News that a deal could take place broke on Friday as both companies put their shares on hold.
The deal will give Kerry Logistics access to SF’s network in China, while the express firm will gain through a greater international and regional presence, helping it to expand beyond China.
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The companies said that Kerry Logistics Network will be positioned as SF Holding’s platform for international business.
They will also collaborate with each other in Greater China to better align their respective businesses.
“By tapping into different customer segments, SF Holding and Kerry Logistics Network will coexist as separate entities in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau,” Kerry Logistics said. “[Kerry Logistics] will continue to grow its logistics businesses, both in terms of scale and coverage.
“The partnership is expected to create significant synergies to boost both companies’ growth and leadership in the logistics sector with clear business focuses and complementary strengths to bring value to investors.”
The deal will require more than half of Kerry’s independent shareholders to accept the cash offer.
They added: “The cooperation will bring together the core competencies of SF Holding and Kerry Logistics Network across multiple verticals to create a leading Asia-based global logistics platform to meet ever-changing demands.”
As part of the deal, Kerry Logistics Network’s warehouse assets in Hong Kong will be disposed of to a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kerry Holdings.
SF plans to pay for the deal through external funding.
SF has been growing rapidly over recent years as it benefits from the online shopping boom and had previously said it was looking to develop its logistics offering.
This would not be its first investment in expanding its logistics capabilities in recent years.
In 2019, Deutsche Post DHL (DPDHL) concluded a deal to transfer its supply chain operations in China to SF Holding in a ten-year strategic partnership to grow the business in China.
From an airfreight perspective, SF Holding’s fleet has also grown rapidly. SF Airlines is currently the largest cargo airline in China, with a fleet of 61 aircraft, serving more than 70 cities.
Source : https://www.aircargonews.net/business/supply-chains
5. New! COGAS* financial contribution on private lessons!
February 08, 2021
For FO Com, every parent must have the means to give their children every chance to succeed! The health crisis has sometimes caused learning difficulties for some students.
This is why an experiment is launched .
COGAS will cover 25% of the price of private lessons upon presentation of a 2021 invoice, provided before November 2021, up to a limit of € 400 in total aid per postman.
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Ex : A postman whose Family Quotient is in Tranche 5 (greater than € 13,100 and less than or equal to € 14,700 ), orders 10 hours of class at € 38 (the price often varies depending on the level of the child). He pays his invoice of 380 € with 25 CESU pre-financed s of 15 € (which cost him 9 € because he is Tranche 5). 50% of his expense will be deducted from his taxes. He will forward his invoice to the HR department and will benefit from COGAS aid of 95 € (25% of 380 € aid). Result: the 10 hours of lessons will cost him 20 €.
Attention, it is for the moment an experiment. Offer offered within the limit of the available budget, ie 180,000 € . Only the 1 st requests will be satisfied!
To get help on a daily basis, to do their homework, the children of postal workers can also benefit from PROF EXPRESS for free!
Online assistance allows students from CP to terminal to be put in touch, either by phone or via a virtual class (sort of chat with a whiteboard for math demonstrations in particular), with a teacher from the national education in all subjects of the general stream in order to answer their questions, unblock them in their homework, deepen a notion or even correct a homework assignment. Prof Express also offers many services: Librarian service, Guidance service, support on Parcoursup etc ...
* Conseil d’Orientation et de Gestion des Activités Sociales de La Poste/ Guidance and Management Council for La Poste's Social Activities
Source : http://www.focom-laposte.fr/
POSTAL NEWS
No 12-2021
Formulated by UNI Apro Post and Logistics Sector
1. Same-day delivery in Switzerland is growing with notime and Swiss Post. February 12, 2021.
2. CEVA Logistics Extends Rapid LTL Services to South East Asia. February 11, 2021.
3. USPS: 24th Chairman of the Board of Governors announced. February 10, 2021.
4. Poste Italiane is Silver Class in the Sustainability Yearbook 2021 of S&P Global. February 09, 2021.
5. Plans to cut off nurseries to London key workers’ kids is “unfair and unnecessary”, CWU say. February 08, 2021.
1. Same-day delivery in Switzerland is growing with notime and Swiss Post
February 12, 2021
Swiss Post-owned notime recently clocked up one million shipments mark. And while that’s a nice milestone, the real story is that demand for same-day delivery in Switzerland has risen sharply in recent months.
According to notime, in recent months customer demand for same-day delivery has “gone through the roof”. Hyperbole or no, integrating notime’s technology and delivery offering into Swiss Post’s range of products would have helped.
In fact, notime CEO Reto Graf anticipates that notime could deliver its two millionth shipment this year.
Swiss Post first invested in notime back in 2018, when it took a 51% share in the company. In August 2020 the postal operator acquired the remaining shares in notime. notime AG is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Swiss Post.
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Together, they are offering a SameDay service for Swiss business customers.
Since Swiss Post’s full acquisition of notime, the two companies have coordinated their processes and harmonised their SameDay solutions.
The range of SameDay products include “Urban Afternoon”, “Urban Evening”, “Swiss Afternoon” and “Swiss Evening”. These superfast delivery services are available in urban and regional parts of Switzerland - as the service names suggest.
Deliveries under the SameDay banner can be carried out either by notime or by Swiss Post.
The same-day delivery market is an important part of Swiss Post's growth strategy that starts this year.
Source : http://www.thepostalhub.com
2. CEVA Logistics Extends Rapid LTL Services to South East Asia
February 11, 2021
CEVA Logistics has expanded its rapid LTL (Less-than-truckload) services from China to South East Asia. The service is designed to serve customers who do not have sufficient volumes to support Full Truckload Shipments (FTL). Emerging small to medium enterprises (SMEs), large local companies (LLAs) and multinational corporations will all benefit from this new service.
Optimized routing will deliver service reliability
Through optimized routing, the new service brings customers an express lead time of seven days from Shanghai to Singapore, offering them a comprehensive, reliable, fully-visible, flexible and customizable product. Operating twice a week on Tuesday and Friday, it will importantly accept Li-Battery shipments (DG Class 9 Li-Batteries).
Drivers on the service are specially trained and hold internationally recognized Dangerous Goods licenses for safecross-border transport.
Connections from Chinese Regional Hubs
The Rapid LTL connects China’s regional hubs via Shenzhen to key cities in Southeast Asia such as Hanoi, Bangkok, Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. All shipments are closely monitored by CEVA Logistics’ Control Towers for real-time tracking door to door from China right across Southeast Asia.
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CEVA Logistics is one of Asia’s largest players in cross border transportation and leverages its comprehensive network to move more than 25,000 TEUs annually.
Michael Leong, Ground & Rail Leader Product Leader CEVA Logistics SEAPAC states: “The launch of our Rapid LTL Connection services in Asia is another testament to our commitment of continuously innovating with our services. We are confident that this new lead time-efficient and cost-effective solution will enable our customers to adapt to the increasingly evolving needs of their supply chains in a flexible and scalable way.”
Source : https://indoshippinggazette.com/2021
3. USPS: 24th Chairman of the Board of Governors announced
February 10, 2021
During yesterday’s meeting of the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors, Ron A. Bloom was unanimously elected by his fellow Governors to serve as the 24th chairman of the Board of Governors. The Governors also unanimously elected Roman Martinez IV to serve as vice chairman. Bloom succeeds Robert M. Duncan, the Board’s chairman since Sept. 2018, and who continues his term as a Governor.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy congratulated Bloom and Martinez on their election to these leadership positions. He said that he has “enjoyed my collaboration with Ron Bloom as a member of the Strategy and Innovation Committee, and I look forward to working with him as Chairman.” DeJoy also stated that Martinez will serve the Board well as vice chairman and that the Board “will benefit from his broad experience and wise counsel as I have during the start of my tenure as Postmaster General.”
Bloom has served on the Board of Governors since August 2019, appointed by President Trump and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve the remainder of a seven-year term that expired Dec. 8, 2020. Bloom is currently in a hold-over year.
During his more than 40-year career, Bloom has had senior leadership roles with labor unions, leading financial services firms and the Federal Government. Since 2016, Bloom has been a vice chairman and managing partner at Brookfield Asset Management. Prior to that, Bloom was vice chairman of U.S. Investment Banking and Managing Director at Lazard. During his time at Lazard, he advised the National Association of Letter Carriers on postal issues.
From 2009 to 2011, Bloom served the Obama Administration, first as a senior advisor to the Secretary of the Treasury, where he helped to lead the restructuring of the U.S. auto industry following the 2008 recession. After the restructuring, he led the Treasury’s Oversight of GM and Chrysler, including GM’s Initial Public Offering — at the time the
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largest IPO in U.S. history. In 2011, President Obama appointed Bloom to serve as Assistant to the President on Manufacturing Policy.
In that role, he provided leadership on policy development and strategic planning for the Administration’s agenda to revitalize the manufacturing sector.
In his remarks, Chairman Bloom said that he is humbled by the opportunity to be a part of the important work ahead, which will include “a bold and comprehensive plan … that will allow us to revitalize the United States Postal Service.” He said this plan “will further imbed the Postal Service as a vital part of our Government’s critical national infrastructure, providing excellent value and reliable and affordable mail and package delivery to 160 million American households six and seven days each week. It will require both ourselves and our stakeholders to come together, openly face our challenges, make necessary choices and do what is right for this great organization and our country.”
Martinez has served on the Board of Governors since August 2019, appointed by President Trump and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve the remainder of a seven-year term that expires Dec. 8, 2024. He has chaired the Board’s Audit and Finance Committee since Oct. 3, 2019.
Martinez has significant experience in the private sector and helping govern private and non-profit institutions. Born in Cuba, he emigrated to the United States in 1960 and began his career as an investment banker in 1971 with Kuhn Loeb & Company, which merged with Lehman Brothers in 1977. Martinez became a partner there in 1978 and worked as a managing director in investment banking until his retirement from the firm in 2003. Since then, he has devoted his time to serving on the boards of major companies and non-profit institutions, including New York-Presbyterian Hospital, the International Rescue Committee, the German Marshal Fund of the United States, Cigna Corporation, Orbital ATK, Inc. and Bacardi Limited.
Also, he was appointed by then-Republican Gov. Charlie Crist to the Investment Advisory Council of Florida’s State Board of Administration. During the meeting, Vice Chairman Martinez thanked his fellow Governors for their trust and said that he looks forward to continuing “to work with them on a collegial and non-partisan basis to successfully move the Postal Service forward on behalf of the American people.“ He said he has “enjoyed being a part of the mission of this venerable institution” and is “excited for the prospects of the Postal Service under the strong leadership of Postmaster General DeJoy.”
Source : https://postandparcel.info/133181/news/e-commerce
4. Poste Italiane is Silver Class in the Sustainability Yearbook 2021 of S&P Global
February 09, 2021
Poste Italiane obtains the "S&P Global Sustainability Award" as Silver Class for its excellent sustainability performance and confirms its presence in the 2021 edition of the Sustainability Yearbook. Poste Italiane is the only Italian company in the financial and insurance sector to have been awarded the Silver Class by S&P Global, international reference agency for sustainability performance assessment.
“Being a leader in sustainability at national and international level is a source of pride because it certifies the success of the path of increasing integration of sustainability in our business model.” – commented Company’s CEO Matteo Del Fante – One of the most authoritative evaluation agencies on the subject has
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recognized what has been done by our Company, which confirms itself as a protagonist in the strategy of sustainable development, contributing to the creation of shared value for the country and for the stakeholders”.
“Giving substance to the concept of sustainability with a clear and shared strategy is of fundamental importance in the current global health emergency. – declared Giuseppe Lasco, Deputy General Manager of Poste Italiane - The Silver Class obtained further reinforces the Group's desire to continue along the path of sustainability through the correct management of risks and opportunities linked to environmental, social and governance issues.”
The entry in the "S&P Global Sustainability Award" confirms the virtuous path of Poste Italiane present in the most important international indices such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (Europe and World), the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index, the FTSE4Good and Euronext Vigeo-Eiris, and represents a further improvement compared to 2020, when the Company was awarded as "Industry Mover”.
The Sustainability Yearbook includes international companies that manage their sustainability performance most effectively on the basis of the score obtained from the Corporate Sustainability Assessment, the assessment model developed by S&P Global on the basis of ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) measurement criteria.
A comment on the results achieved by Poste Italiane came from Manjit Jus, Global Head of ESG Research, S&P Global: “We congratulate Poste Italiane on its Silver Award in The Sustainability Yearbook 2021, which showcases the best performing companies among industry peers and in terms of financially material ESG metrics. With over 7,000 companies assessed, an inclusion in the yearbook is a true statement of corporate sustainability excellence.”
Source : https://www.posteitaliane.it/en/press-releases
5. Plans to cut off nurseries to London key workers’ kids is “unfair and unnecessary”, CWU say
February 08, 2021
Over 1,000 people have urged Royal Mail in north London to halt “unfair and unnecessary” plans to shut down a workers’ nursery service.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) petition has called for Royal Mail management at Mount Pleasant, north London to rethink their decision to close their Kiddycare Childsplay Nursery next month.
The nursery, which has capacity for 30 children, has offered subsidised childcare to postal workers at Mount Pleasant for more than two decades.
Across the community, it is widely considered to be an asset, particularly to young female workers who closely rely on the service.
During the pandemic, the children of other key workers have also been brought into the nursery while their parents are fighting Covid-19.
The decision to close the nursery makes it far more likely that key workers will have to make the choice between looking after their children and working their jobs, and only increases the stress on Britain’s overburdened postal workers during a historic crisis.
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The campaign to save Kiddycare at Mount Pleasant has been covered by Francesca Newton of Tribune, who has predicted that “the injuries and injustices of the last year – which have landed disproportionately on the shoulders of key workers and women – may well push the public to show more support than ever.”
Similarly, Calum Fraser of the Islington Tribune – the paper that helped run a successful campaign to save the facility in 2011 – has quoted workers describing the negative effects that the “hasty decision” will make.
A CWU spokesperson said: “Over the past year, our members have worked incredibly hard in deeply difficult circumstances.
“For many with young children, playing their part in keeping communities connected would have been simply impossible without facilities like Kiddycare.
“It’s not surprising that these dedicated employees passionately oppose this closure – it is unfair, unnecessary, and puts the children of key workers at risk.
“We urge management to reconsider their plans and recognise the strong feelings from their employees on this issue.”
Source : https://www.cwu.org/news