Postal News from January 2008:
January 31, 2008
The latest
report from the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General has been posted
on the IG website (http://www.uspsoig.gov/)
today. If you have additional questions concerning the report, please contact
Agapi Doulaveris at 703.248.2286.
Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, Section 709, Assessment of Certain Rate Deficiencies (Report Number FFAR08030) http://www.uspsoig.gov/foia_files/FF-AR-08-030.pdf.
As
Reuters has noted, "The European
Union's 88 billion euro ($130.8 billion) mail markets will be opened up to full
competition from the start of 2011 under plans adopted by the bloc's
assembly on Thursday. The European Parliament sealed a 15-year long process of
injecting competition into national postal services by prising open the final
protected sector -- letters weighing up to 50 grams. Mail above that weight is
fully liberalised." See also
EUBusiness and
the
EU Parliament Press Release.
The
Washington Post has reported that "U.S. Rep. Thomas M. Davis III said
yesterday that he will retire from Congress at the end of the year, closing a
14-year stint in the House during which he rose rapidly through the Republican
leadership ranks and used his clout to champion local issues [and postal
reform]."
The
News & Observer has reported that "United Parcel Service is closing the
Raleigh office it has leased for the past 20 years and is cutting 60 local jobs
as the package-delivery company consolidates its operating districts"
[EdNote: And there will be no strikes, no informational pickets, and no
congressional hearings. Imagine that.]
The
Los Angeles Times has reported that "Mailings of a suspicious white powder
to 10 Church of Scientology addresses prompted the evacuation of dozens of
people and the closure of a major thoroughfare Wednesday as hazmat teams were
called to examine the packages. The letters were sent via the Postal Service to
Scientology properties in Hollywood, the San Fernando Valley, Santa Monica,
Glendale and Tustin. Police shut part of Glendale's busy Brand Boulevard for two
hours before sounding the all-clear, while 60 people were cleared from buildings
in Tustin, authorities said. The incidents appeared to be part of a hoax.
Preliminary tests showed the powder to be cornstarch and wheat germ."
The
Malta
Independent has reported that "Competitiveness and Communications Minister
Censu Galea yesterday inaugurated a crucial Task Force meeting of the CEPT
(European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations) which is
currently discussing reforms within this organisation. The CEPT is a body of
policy-makers and regulators comprising 48 members from almost the entire
geographical area of Europe. The scope of this meeting is to provide a platform
for CEPT members, observers and other interested parties to discuss initiatives
aimed at developing a strategic plan for the development of this organisation.
Two other Task Force meetings were held in Berlin and Copenhagen."
According to
Print Week, "Financial constraints on printers will increase in 2008 as
Royal Mail has announced price hikes for its business-to-business mailing.
However, according to postal price comparison website Post-Switch, the price
increases are more likely to affect upstream mailing providers such as TNT and
DHL."
The
Chicago Sun-Times has reported that "Mail delivery in Chicago improved
during the last three months of 2007, but it still has the worst in-town
delivery rate in the nation, according to an audit released Wednesday by the
U.S. Postal Service."
According to
Transport Intelligence, "A fall in profits disguised a rise in UPS's
operational results during the fourth quarter of 2007, indicating a surprising
strength in a company whose business is dominated by the US economy. UPS was
pushed into loss over the latest quarter by an agreement with the Teamsters
union to fund worker pensions." See also
Reuters and
Bloomberg.
As the
Federal Times has
noted, "The U.S. Postal Service is delivering its best service ever, but the
slowing economy kept the agency short of its expected revenue by almost a
half-billion dollars last quarter. A new pricing structure was expected to boost
revenues, but the nation’s slowing economy has meant less mail. The Postal
Service’s first-quarter volume dropped by 1.7 billion pieces, almost 3 percent,
from the same period in 2007. The first quarter runs from October through
December. The decrease affected virtually all categories of mail. The steepest
decline was in Express Mail, which lost nearly 11 percent of its volume."
According
to
Gulf Times, "Qatar will make efforts to host the Universal Postal Union’s
World Postal Congress in 2012, chairman and chief executive of Q-Post Ali
Mohamed al-Ali said yesterday."
|
On Sig Guthman . . . . |
Press Notice: The formation
and launch of The Arvonio Group, LLC global consulting services has been
announced. The Arvonio Group is comprised of a growing team of 24 executives and
professionals with over 500 years combined Postal Service and related private
sector experience and success. What truly distinguishes our team is not just the
breadth of its experience but also the depth of its expertise. For additional
information email
TheArvonioGroup@aol.com or call (703) 719-5677.
January 30, 2008
The
Associated Press has reported that "The European Parliament is expected to
approve a plan Thursday to dismantle remaining national monopolies for postal
delivery by 2011, allowing cross-border competition in a sector that has until
now been jealously guarded by national operators."
A key
feature of the new postal law is the direction by Congress as to which reports
on which topics were to be written by whom, received by whom, and reviewed by
whom. Posted on this site is a neat chart from the
Congressional Research Service
that lays out all the details.
A
copy of the financial
update provided by the U.S. Postal Service's chief financial officer, Glen
Walker, has been posted on this site. It was not all good news.
Mail volume is
declining.
Walker told the Board that he attributed the declining mail volume to
“disturbing trends” in the overall U.S. economy. “Unfortunately, two key sectors
of the economy — finance and housing — suffered a downturn in the first quarter,
and they’re both heavy users of the mail,” said Postmaster General John Potter.
Net income for the first quarter is estimated at $672 million on revenue of
$20.4 billion. “Although revenue is higher than in the same quarter last year,
due to the price increase last May, it is $500 million less than expected,”
Potter said. “We’re working to offset the disappointing revenue with cost
reductions and new strategies for growth.” Other news: At today’s open session of the
USPS Board of Governors meeting,
the following officers were elected: as
Chairman Allen Kessler, and as Vice Chairman Carolyn Gallagher. Both will serve
for one year.
Somebody
must really have it in for catalogers. Here's another:
Catalog
End....and another...ProQuo.
According to
The Province, "CBC should go after bad drivers, not people with bad postal
codes."
Gulf News
has reported that "Emirates Post holding group and Emirates Nationals
Development Programme (ENDP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to
boost emiratisation in the mail sector through a series of measures, including a
three-month postal diploma programme, to be conducted by the Emirates Post
training development centre, Dubai. According to the MoU, the postal diploma
programme will be for three months, at the end of which the candidate will
receive a diploma endorsed by Emirates post holding group."
As
Business Week has reported, under the principle that "We should not compete
when it comes to saving lives...at the Davos Forum in January, 2005, the
Logistics and Transportation Industry Humanitarian Workstream was born—an
alliance of some of the world's major logistics and transportation companies,
including United Parcel Service (UPS), TNT, Agility Logistics, and Deutsche Post
World Net, the parent of DHL."
Forbes has reported that "Oesterreichische Post AG has dismissed as
'rumours' media reports that it plans to launch a joint venture with the
Deutsche Post AG unit DHL Express Austria. Chief executive Anton Wais told APA
that the Austrian postal services group's logistics unit trans-o-flex will
launch its own same-day delivery service in September."
|
In Search Of . . . . |
CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:
Despite a depreciation charge amounting to around 600m euros, Deutsche Post achieved its profit target for 2007.
Chinese news agency »Xinhua« (25.1) reports that China Post enjoyed a 16% increase in turnover to around 8.8bn euros in 2007.
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Dutch post group TNT is also taking legal action against the minimum wage for mail delivery workers in Germany.
Alongside the controversy over the minimum wage in Germany, Deutsche Post’s VAT exemption is the main current topic of discussion.
Switzerland’s post minister Moritz Leuenberger has pronounced himself in favour of maintaining uniform pricing.
According to German news magazine »Focus« (28.1), three US investment companies are involved in takeover talks with ailing Pin Group. The firms are named as Blackstone, KKR and Advent International.
DHL Austria intends to co-operate with Österreichische Post for domestic business purposes in future.
On Monday, tax inspectors and police carried out a raid at a depot of Austrian Hermes parcel service.
A class-action lawsuit for damages as a result of price rigging has been filed in the USA against five of Europe’s biggest air carriers.
2007 was not a prosperous year for YRC Worldwide Inc., one of the biggest US trucking companies with 60,000 employees.
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Schweizerische Post has continued its niche strategy abroad with an acquisition in Sweden.
The Japanese post wants to increase its presence in the advertising market.
The MRU, founded in 1992, is the only consultancy in Europe, which has specialised in the market of courier-, express- and parcel services. For large-scale shippers and CEP-services in particular, the MRU provides interdisciplinary advice for all major questions of the market, as there are for example market entry, product design, organisation, and EDP.To learn more about the stories reported above, contact CEP News. (We appreciate the courtesy extended by CEP News to help whet your appetite for more of what CEP offers.)
According to
Mike
Causey at Federal News Radio, "Well, if you gotta work, and you gotta work
for the government, make sure you pick an agency that isn't constrained by pesky
regulations that keep a lid on the value of pay and perks. Although many
rank-and-file feds don't know it, employees at a number of agencies --
especially those that regulate banks -- march to a different drummer. That
drummer, in most cases, pays better than regular federal agencies. The biggest
independent of all, and the one agency that touches nearly all our lives, is the
U.S. Postal Service. And while the USPS is composed mainly of relatively
low-paid clerks and letter carriers, its officer corps does fine. The USPS is
run by a Board of Governors. Last year the Board (which tends to do things
quietly) quietly voted for substantial raises for its top officers, including a
nearly 39 percent increase for the Postmaster General. His pay went from
$186,600 to $258,840. The raise was approved last May and made retroactive to
January, 2007."
The
Daily Post has reported that "the Royal Mail intends to close one of its
rural letter delivery offices, putting a question mark over the jobs of workers
employed there."
Telecoms Korea has reported that "Korea's state-run post office said Tuesday
that it will invest 175.4 billion won (US$185.5 million) in 2008 mostly to
improve its mailing system. Korea Post said the investment earmarked for this
year includes 37.4 billion won for procuring necessary hardware and software,
6.5 billion won for better IT systems and 57.3 billion won for system
maintenance. It also plans to spend some of the money to purchase around 40,000
radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and 600 tag readers for improving the
speed at which its mailing work is carried out, the company said in a
statement."
January 29, 2008
From
eMediawire: "Pitney Bowes Inc., the world's leading mailstream solutions
company, announced today new features and products to its SendSuite'
distribution solutions portfolio. The enhanced suite of solutions expands Pitney
Bowes' line of products and services to offer more powerful and efficient
mailstream and package management."
From
Canada NewsWire: "Postal workers and Bloc Québécois MP, Thierry St-Cyr, will
deliver a gigantic post card to Lawrence Cannon, Minister responsible for Canada
Post, in an attempt to save a Montreal post office. The post card demands the
Conservative government reverse the decision to close a community post office
and reopen another one elsewhere."
Paid, Inc.’s Patent #7324968 from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
(USPTO) becomes “effective,” providing Paid with all the rights granted to
patent holders, including the ability to seek licenses for patent use and to
protect the patent from infringement. Paid’ s patent is for the real-time
calculation of shipping costs for items purchased online using a zip code as a
destination location indicator. It includes shipping charge calculations across
multiple carriers such as the US Postal Service, FedEx, UPS and DHL (Airborne),
and accounts for additional characteristics of the item being shipped, such as
weight, special packaging or handling, and insurance costs. A key component of
Paid’ s patent is the use of a zip code as a location identifier for the
purposes of calculating real-time shipping costs in online purchases since many
shippers’ rates vary according to distance shipped.
Motley Fool takes a gander at movie distribution in the near future.
Federal Times has
reported that "The president of the National Association of Letter Carriers
thinks the U.S. Postal Service’s inspector general is getting too personal in
his investigations, but the IG says he’s just doing his job."
Join PostCom member and Mystic Stamp Company president Don Sundman and American Philatelic Society past president Janet Klug at the National Postal Museum as they talk about their new book, 100 Greatest American Stamps. In this lively, illustrated talk, the authors will discuss how they selected the hundred greatest stamps, highlight their favorites, and spotlight some stamps that didn’t make the cut. A book signing and reception will follow the lecture.
MAILCOM '08 will be held April 29-May 2 at
the Atlantic City Convention Center. The Big Show will feature over 140
educational seminars, seven certificate programs, and 150 exhibiting companies.
Presentations from Dan Blair, Chairman, Postal Regulatory Commission and Alan
Beam, Apollo 12 Astronaut and Moonwalker are two of the 200 speakers you can
hear from. Complete details on speakers and seminars are online. Registration is
now open at www.mailcom.org. Register by
February 29 and save $100!
From the
Federal Register: "This notice sets forth the changes to the Domestic Mail
Classification Schedule to be implemented as a result of the Decision of the
Governors of the United States Postal Service on the Opinion and Recommended
Decision of the Postal Regulatory Commission Approving Negotiated Service
Agreement with Bank of America Corporation, Docket No. MC2007-1."
Army Times
has reported that "The Military Postal Service Agency has launched a new service
that allows service members to track down lost and late-arriving packages and
mail with an e-mail inquiry."
The
Wall Street Journal has reported that "In an interview, Chief Financial
Officer John Allan said Deutsche Post intends to retain "a significant presence
in the U.S.," but he wouldn't rule out any other scenarios, such as giving up a
controlling stake in its U.S. express business. "We've got a very open mind," he
said. Analysts speculate management could seek extreme steps such as rolling
back or even selling its ground network and other parts of the U.S. business.
But some industry insiders question whether large rivals such as FedEx, UPS and
the U.S. Postal Service would be interested. Deutsche Post, UPS and FedEx
declined to comment on possible talks. A postal-service spokesman said he was
unaware of any discussions. "
Art Daily
has noted that "When America's sons and daughters are stationed overseas,
especially during wartime, contact with loved ones back home becomes an
essential part of life. During World
War II, a new mail processing method was introduced to increase the amount of
mail that could be exchanged overseas. "Victory Mail," a new temporary
exhibition opening March 6 at the National Postal Museum, showcases the museum's
collection of World War II V-Mail correspondence. "V" for "Victory," a popular
WW II symbol, was the inspiration for the name of this new-fangled
correspondence style.
DM News has provided an interesting point-counterpoint on the direction the
USPS is heading under the new postal law. Its conclusion: One author's "praise
of the PAEA and its expected efficiency comes optimistically early." The other
"points out the USPS reacts as a government agency and not with the speed of an
accountable business. His argument that the agency should be working with and
listening to mailers as strategic business partners and not constituents, sounds
like sage advice to any organization which relies on its customers." [EdNote:
And I can hear Dan Aykroyd say to Jane Curtin: "Jane, you ....!"]
The
Financial Times has noted that "Launched barely two years ago, the Banque
Postale - the new banking subsidiary of the French post office - has been
actively looking for partners to help it become a fully-fledged retail bank and
in due course be partially privatised. And by an odd coincidence, only a couple
of weeks ago it forged its first partnership with a big French commercial bank
forming a joint electronic payments venture with none other than SocGen."
Emirates Business 24/7 has reported that "Emirates Post Holding Group will
apply for a banking licence to create a postal Islamic bank this year, its top
executive said. “We will apply for a licence in the next six months,” Emirates
Post Holding Group President Abdulla Al Daboos told Emirates Business."
Xinhua has reported that "The United Nations and Israel jointly launched on
Monday stamps in observance of the International Day of Commemoration in memory
of the victims of the Holocaust."
The Gazette has reported that "postmasters whose branches could be under
threat of closure are keeping tight-lipped about their future. Post Office staff
in villages and towns across Gloucestershire have been sent letters telling them
if they are to shut or not. Last year the Post Office announced that it would be
closing 2,500 of its branches across the country."
WATE has
reported on "How to stop unwanted magazine subscriptions in the mail."
The
Australian
Broadcasting Corporation (ABC News) has reported that "The Communications
Union is calling on Australia Post to explain why it is tendering out mail
delivery services in Deloraine, at least four months ahead of schedule.
Australia Post had confirmed the services at George Town, Deloraine and Wynyard
would switch to a private operator in the middle of the year."
The
Postal Service has announced that Premium Forwarding Service (PFS) now is a
permanent offering. With PFS, all mail is forwarded, including magazines and
catalogs. Mail is reshipped once a week to a customer’s temporary location for a
fee. Expedited services mail, such as Express Mail and Priority Mail, as well as
Registered Mail, are forwarded separately at no extra charge. Customers can
enroll at the Post Office serving their permanent address (a government issued
photo ID and proof of permanent address are required). There is a one-time
application fee of $10, and the weekly forwarding fee is $11.95. Temporary
Change-of-Address and Hold Mail services remain available at no charge.
The
Postal Regulatory
Commission (PRC) is initiating a docket (Docket No. PI2008-2) soliciting
comments on both Treasury’s recommendations for accounting practices and
principles that will govern the operation of the Competitive Products Fund (CPF)
and the determination of an assumed Federal income tax to be imposed on
competitive products income., and specific questions posed by the Commission in
response to the Report. Initial comments are due 60 days after publication of
this Notice in the Federal Register. Reply comments are due 90 days after
publication of this Notice in the Federal Register."
The
following reports have been posted on the U.S. Postal Service Office of
Inspector General website (http://www.uspsoig.gov/)
today. If you have additional questions concerning the report, please contact
Agapi Doulaveris at 703.248.2286.
Function 4 Business Plan Process (Report Number MSAR08002) http://www.uspsoig.gov/foia_files/MS-AR-08-002.pdf
Intelligent Mail Data Acquisition System Deployment Status and Vendor Negotiations (Report Number DAAR07006) http://www.uspsoig.gov/foia_files/DA-AR-07-006.pdf
January 28, 2008
The
Daily Star has
reported that "Western Union, an international money transferring company, has
teamed up with Bangladesh Postal Department for delivering the money remitted by
expatriate Bangladeshis to the villagers easily."
|
|
PostCom welcomes its newest member: Premier Logistics Services, Inc. 135 Day Street Newington, CT 06111-1244 represented by David Francis Vice President, Sales & Marketing |
Federal Times has
reported that "A new survey of American attitudes toward government finds the
U.S. Postal Service as the most popular agency in government."
David A.
Weaver, President and CEO of the Mailing
& Fulfillment Service Association, has announced his retirement date
(July 31, 2008) at the recent MFSA Mid-Winter Executive Conference in Maui.
Weaver has served as the association’s chief staff officer for twenty years.
AllAfrica.com has
reported that "Members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria's
Communications, Transportation and Corporation (SSACTAC) have criticised the
proposed postal reform bill currently with the National Assembly, saying federal
government should concentrate with the manpower development and deployment of
ICT based facilities before embarking on any reform."
Cargonews Asia has reported that "UPS and FedEx have expanded their air
freight services, predominantly in Asia. Rival DHL, meanwhile, is facing calls
for a retreat from the US."
According to
Precision Marketing, "While Postcomm's measures to simplify its licensing
procedures to make it easier for smaller businesses to enter the postal market
might be encouraging, is it enough to increase competition in, what many still
consider, a monopolised market? Or is Postcomm simply going through the
motions?"
The
Kane County Chronicle has noted that "The U. S. Postal Service as a whole
handles 703 million pieces of mail daily. For two decades, certain classes of
mail that come back to the office have been recycled instead of destroyed. The
office also has looked to alternative-fuel vehicles, green building techniques,
and programs with mailing agencies to cut waste."
Transport Intelligence has reported that "TNT applies for new EU customs
security standard 28/Jan/2008 TNT is to apply for Authorised Economic Operator
(AEO) status for all its customs-related express service operations in the 27 EU
countries. Working with an AEO accreditation, a new security standard created by
the European Commission, would benefit customers in several ways. TNT and its
clients would thereby benefit from fewer delayed shipments, reduced theft or
vandalism, and improved communication between supply chain partners."
January 27, 2008
The
Associated Press has reported that "Complaints about free home-delivery newspapers in Maryland have
inspired State Del. Tanya Shewell to propose a "Do Not Deliver" registry that
would work similarly to the "Do Not Call" registry for telemarketers. If
approved, would be the first of its kind in the nation. Shewell said her
constituents complain that they're just ignored when they call a newspaper
asking that delivery be stopped. She said people can't stop deliveries even when
they leave town, meaning papers are left around as an invitation to burglars.
The newspapers often litter roadsides and storm drains. "I love free newspapers.
We're not trying to hurt the business of the newspapers," Shewell said. "All
we're asking is for them to stop delivering to people who ask them to stop.
People don't know where to call. They don't know how to stop it."
January 26, 2008
The
Cincinnati Business Courier has reported that "A DHL spokesman says parent
company Deutsche Post World Net has no plans to sell its U.S. Express delivery
service to its Memphis-based rival FedEx Corp. "There is no question about our
exiting the U.S. business, a withdrawal can be completely ruled out," DHL
spokesman Jonathan Baker said in a phone interview with Memphis Business
Journal."
Air Cargo World
has reported that "Deutsche Post World Net said Friday it is not withdrawing
from the United States express market but the company refused to comment on
reports that it is in talks to sell part of the DHL Americas business to FedEx.
The DHL parent released a statement from Chief Financial Officer John Allan
saying "there can be no question of exiting the U.S. business. Any options which
include a withdrawal can be completely ruled out."
The
Globe and Mail has reported that "Canada Post is apologizing to all of its
Quebec employees and Quebeckers for omitting the Fête Nationale holiday from its
2008 employee calendar. Canada Post has decided to reprint the calendar to
include the June 24 holiday along with other provincial holidays. The new
calendar should be available at the end of February."
January 25, 2008
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The latest issue of
the PostCom Bulletin is available online. In this issue:
The Association for Postal Commerce, joined by The Direct Marketing Association and others, last week filed comments on the Postal Service’s proposed service performance measurement solutions with the Postal Regulatory Commission. Although many including PostCom generally supported the USPS’ proposed hybrid measurement system for some market-dominant products, there were concerns with some elements of the proposal and other elements not addressed by the Postal Service. PostCom and others also raised issues relative to the USPS’ proposed measurement solutions for other market-dominant products and for some Special Services.
The USPS governors last year boosted the pay of Postmaster General Jack Potter and seven other senior officers to amounts that equal or exceed the salary of the vice president of the U.S. Potter got the biggest raise – $72,240 – but his salary still pales when compared to the pay of other postal CEOs.
USPS Vice President Joanne Giordano explains the economic importance of direct mail in this opinion piece.
PRC calls for public comments on USPS competitive product filings. Peter Moore Software releases new Mail.dat Excel Macro. USPS to Seek RFPs for BMC Management. USPS names Davis head of policy strategies. New USPS Inspector General reports posted. Harle is new MTAC chairman.
Scotland could see new postmen soon. Spanish post office to cut rural deliveries.
A list of upcoming postal-related events.

The
January
25, 2008 issue of the National Association of Postal Supervisors Legislative
and Regulatory Update has been posted on this site.
Press Release: "BCC
Software, a BÖWE BELL + HOWELL company and a leading developer of
highperformance solutions for professional mailers, will launch a new series of
informational Webinars beginning in February 2008. The series, collectively
known as Postal Education and Knowledge (PEAK), will be hosted by BCC Executive
Vice President Chris Lien and cohosted by many wellknown and recognized mailing
industry experts."
Xinhua has reported that "China's post service business revenue stood at 93
billion yuan (12.9 billion U.S. dollars) in 2007, up 16 percent year on year.
"The year of 2007 was the fastest growing year of the country's post industry
and the China Post Group saw robust growth of postal, financial and express
services," said Ma Junsheng, director of the bureau at the conference."
Those who
are interested in postal developments worldwide might want to take a gander at
the "Liberalisation,
privatisation and regulation of postal services in Europe – First
international experiences in the run-up to new European regulations."
According to the
Sun-Sentinel, "Tens of thousands of civil servants demonstrated around
France on Thursday to protest job cuts and press for higher salaries in what the
government dismissed as a "labor union ritual." Teachers, hospital workers,
firefighters and postal workers were among those who answered the call from
seven of eight public servants' union to strike and march."
SearchDataCenter has noted that "the facilities department at the United
Parcel Service of America Inc.'s Alpharetta, Ga., site are about to save you a
lot of money on your data center air-conditioning bill today. Joe Parrino, data
center manager at UPS' Windward data center also explains his organization's
load-shedding process and proves that using outside air to cool a data center
can work—even in the hot temperatures of the southeastern U.S."
The
Seattle Post-Intelligencer has reported that "Al Green, who lives in
Winthrop, sent a package via parcel post to Alabama five days before Christmas.
More than a month later, it still hasn't arrived. Lucky for Green, he paid for
delivery confirmation. It's allowed him at least some amusement -- and the
ability to track his package as it traveled all over the country except where it
needs to go."
The
Eden Daily News has reported that "A large amount of undelivered mail was
found in an abandoned house Thursday morning, said a report by the Rockingham
County Sheriff's Office. Carl Walton, spokesman for the U.S. Mail, said it is
unclear how the mail got onto the porch of an abandoned house, but inspector
generals for the postal service are investigating."
The
Winnepeg Sun has reported that "Postal workers are fuming after Canada Post
left Quebec's annual Fete nationale holiday off its 2008 staff calendar. About
60,000 copies were delivered across the country, including 15,000 in Quebec. Its
French version, which Quebec employees started to receive over the past few
weeks, identifies about 30 holidays and commemorative days, such as Rosh
Hashanah, Ramadan and St. Patrick's Day. But Canada Post deliberately left out
the Fete nationale or St. Jean Baptiste Day, June 24. Canada Post spokesperson
Francois Legault said the corporation had justified the decision based on the
fact that June 24 is a provincial holiday."
Transport Intelligence has reported that "Rumours about the future of DHL's
express unit in the US are presently circulating in the global press. Media
reports are suggesting that Deutsche Post World Net's (DPWN) senior management
is in talks with rival US parcels operator FedEx concerning the disposal of its
domestic parcels business. There is also talk that some sort of business swap
could be achieved, with DHL taking over FedEx's European operations." See also
the
Commercial Appeal and
Bloomberg.
The Vanguard has reported that "The Post Master General and Chief Executive
Officer of the Nigerian Postal Service, Alhaji Ibrahim Mori Baba has said that
the agency would continue to clamp down on unregistered courier companies in the
country."
January 24, 2008
The
Associated Press has reported that "U.S. newspapers' online audiences grew
about 6 percent last year, an industry group reported Thursday, a rare bit of
good news for an industry struggling to adapt as readers and advertising dollars
continue to migrate online."
Air Cargo World
has reported that "DHL may lay off up to 200 workers in Germany because cell
phone manufacturer Nokia is closing a plant in the country. A DHL spokesman told
the German newspaper Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung the carrier is considering
the cutbacks in its express operation. Finland-based Nokia, the world's largest
mobile phone company, says it plans to close the plant in Bochum, Germany, by
the middle of the year, eliminating some 2,300 jobs. That prompted protests in
Germany, but Nokia is cutting back there as it is expanding production at a new
factory in Romania, which became part of the European Union a year ago."
Transport
Intelligence is pleased to announce the launch of a new concept in logistics
conferences: Global Distribution Strategies 2008. The conference will be held on
13-15 May 2008 at the Marriott Hotel, Amsterdam. You can find further details
about Global Distribution Strategies 2008 on
www.ticonferences.com where you will also be able to reserve your delegate
place at an Early Bird discounted rate.
According to
Reuters, "It's official. Postal delivery is as slow as snails, at least in
Poland."
Tech
Journal South has noted that "Traditional software delivery methods are
changing and some business models, and businesses, are being left behind. From
the viewpoint of pre-Internet days where
applications were delivered on CD by the postal service, website based
application downloads seemed like a no-brainer.
The
Plain Dealer has reported that "Fresh, vibrant annuals, perennials, shrubs,
vines, trees and ground covers are alive and well these days, though not in our
muddy, cruddy gardens, of course. Robust roses, petite pansies and bold,
black-eyed Susans are in full bloom between the pages of the gardening catalogs
pouring into mailboxes across the country. But catalog gardening isn't the same
in 2008 as in years past. For the first time, Internet orders of flowers, seeds
and other gardening supplies will equal or outnumber orders from printed
catalogs, according to industry watchers."
The
Indianapolis Star has reported that "When John Kerr opened an Edward Jones
office in Westfield 10 years ago, he wanted to send a promotional mailer to all
residents. He soon realized the difficulty of identifying them. Within the city
boundaries are six ZIP codes. While the Postal Service delivers mail to about
8,600 locations with Westfield addresses, many of Westfield's 24,000 residents,
as well as businesses, have addresses listed as Carmel, Noblesville Sheridan and
Zionsville.
As
The Independent has noted, "For a service provider that was on its knees
just a few years ago, An Post has engineered a remarkable reversal of its
financial fortunes."
From
Business Wire:
"Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c80659)
has announced the addition of “Express in Europe” to their offering. Our Express
in Europe industry profile is an essential resource for top-level data and
analysis covering the express industry. It includes detailed data on market size
and segmentation, plus textual and graphical analysis of the key trends and
competitive landscape, leading companies and demographic information."
Precision Marketing has noted that "Royal Mail has ramped up its commitment
to improving the effectiveness of direct mail campaigns by recruiting a panel of
expert data partners."
Bloomberg has reported that "Deutsche Post AG, Europe's biggest mail
carrier, will transfer 2,500 computer-operations employees to Hewlett-Packard
Co. to reduce spending. Hewlett-Packard, the world's biggest maker of printers,
will take over data- and network-management centers in Europe, the U.S. and
Asia, Deutsche Post said in a statement today. The agreement, which may be
completed in the next six months, will allow the postal service to save at least
1 billion euros ($1.46 billion) in costs over seven years."
According to
the
Post Notes blog, "The PAEA permits the Postal Service to escape the law's
inflation-linked limit on its shipping prices if "extraordinary or exceptional
circumstances" come about -- but that would take something nearly cataclysmic,
like a dramatic and unexpected surge in fuel prices, perhaps brought about by a
geopolitical crisis in the Middle East. The drip-drip-drip in incremental hikes
in prices at the pump, on the other hand, won't give the USPS an extra
reprieve."
January 23, 2008
Hemscott has reported that "PIN Group, the troubled German mail delivery
company that has put itself up for sale, is to pay the statutory postal minimum
wage to its employees."
Bloomberg has reported that "Deutsche Post AG, Europe's biggest mail
carrier, said it will write down the value of its DHL Express unit's Americas
division by 600 million euros ($874 million) as the business struggles to make a
profit."
Postmaster General John Potter has announced the appointment of Fordham
University professor Clara Rodriguez to serve on the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory
Committee (CSAC), which recommends subjects to appear on U.S. postage stamps.
|
|
The Association for Postal Commerce has filed its initial comments on the Postal Service's proposed service performance measurement systems and standards. PostCom was joined in this brief by the Direct Marketing Association. |
According to
Precision Marketing, "Royal Mail is unlikely to take Postcomm’s decision to
reject zonal pricing lying down. Anyone whose gaze has already been averted by
the term ‘zonal pricing’, beware, its introduction will have a major impact on
how you conduct your direct mail campaigns."
From the
U.S. Postal Service: "Scott Davis has been appointed Manager, Policy Strategies,
at Headquarters in Washington, DC. Davis began his career in 1998 as an
economist in Washington, DC. During the past nine years, he has worked in USPS
Finance, Information Technology, Strategic Planning and Operations. Davis most
recently served in the Flats Sequencing System project office. He also helped
coordinate the Strategic Transformation Plan: 2006-2010 and has testified before
the former Postal Rate Commission."
CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:
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German weekly »Die Zeit« (21.1) claims that postal confidentiality for letters and parcels between Europe and the USA has been called into question. The paper reports on secret negotiations concerning the exchange of postal data which are currently taking place. The USA are demanding that information regarding sender and addressee and content - if possible - is made available in advance for parcels, small packets and letters. The aim is to prevent consignments with hazardous contents from entering the USA.
The record 2007 result expected by Schweizerische Post (CEP News 02/08) has rekindled the public debate on the postage rate.
The liberalisation of the Danish postal market scheduled for 2009 is likely to be postponed.
While Massimo Sarmi, CEO of Poste Italiane, beats the drum for privatisation of the post, daily »La Repubblica« (21.1) reports mounds of unsorted mail. According to the paper, "hundreds of tons of letters and parcels" had built up during November and December and were still awaiting delivery.
On Monday, leading Swiss publishing houses NZZ and Tamedia announced that they would "jointly explore the development of the delivery segment".
"We need to turn the Polish post into a dynamic enterprise", said deputy Minister of Infrastructure Maciej Jankowski in an interview with Polish radio station »TVN24« (18.1), thus confirming long-term privatisation plans for Poczta Polska.
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The sluggish US economy could be feeding through to the Chinese express market.
In France, La Poste’s parcel customers can now prepay their consignments online.
Feibra, since 2002 a subsidiary of Austria’s Österreichische Post specialising in the distribution of brochures, is facing several court trials after being accused of illegally employing immigrants.
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Finland’s post Itella has gained a foothold in Poland through the takeover of BusinessPoint S.A.
Norcorreo S.L., which operates in the Greater Madrid area, is the second Spanish private mail service to gain access to the post Correos’ network.
TNT’s refusal to pay the legal minimum wage for delivery staff in Germany has brought global trade union umbrella organisation UNI (Union Network International) into the arena.
The MRU, founded in 1992, is the only consultancy in Europe, which has specialised in the market of courier-, express- and parcel services. For large-scale shippers and CEP-services in particular, the MRU provides interdisciplinary advice for all major questions of the market, as there are for example market entry, product design, organisation, and EDP.To learn more about the stories reported above, contact CEP News. (We appreciate the courtesy extended by CEP News to help whet your appetite for more of what CEP offers.)
Thompson Financial has reported that "FedEx Corp. unit FedEx Ground was
denied its appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit concerning a
class certification decision in the Kansas case pending before the U.S. District
Court in Indiana."
From
Business Wire: "ecoEnvelopes, (www.ecoEnvelopes.com)
the developer of an innovative, new line of eco-friendly reusable envelopes
announced today they have received an investment from the Twin Cities Angels
(TCAngels) (www.TCAngels.com). The
TCAngels’ investment of $570,000 is the single largest investment to date by the
group. ecoEnvelopes conserve natural resources and reduce mail costs by
eliminating the need for reply envelopes. Ideal for statement mailings and
direct mail solicitations, ecoEnvelopes reduce mail costs and provide a highly
visible way for companies and organizations to demonstrate a commitment to a
greener environment."
The
Post
Notes blog has noted that "As the U.S. economy continues to unravel, the
looming question for the U.S. Postal Service is how significantly a recession
could rock mailer spending -- and ultimately the state of USPS finances."
From Bill
McAllister and Linn's Stamp News:
There’s a big change ahead for United States business mailers, one that an industry group describes as "both exciting and scary." That’s the way the Association for Postal Commerce describes a proposed change in the address bar codes used by every organization seeking one of the United States Postal Service’s many discounted postage rates. Postmaster General John E. "Jack" Potter has acknowledged that few commercial mailers still pay the 41¢ rate for their first-class letters, so the new bar code means that almost every mailer will have to abandon the bar codes that currently adorn most mail. The Postal Service is planning to make usage of what it calls "intelligent mail" bar codes mandatory by January 2009.
Postmaster General John E. "Jack" Potter and seven other senior United States Postal Service officers have been granted large raises, by the Postal Service board of governors.
The
Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) has established Docket No. CP2008-1 and
Docket CP2008-2 to receive comments on changes in rates of general applicability
for two competitive products filed by the U.S. Postal Service on January 17,
2008. Both rate changes will also result in changes to the Mail Classification
Schedule. Docket
CP2008-1 concerns the Postal Service's filing to have a new Priority Mail
large-sized Flat Rate Box, and
Docket
CP2008-2 concerns the establishment of a premium for guaranteed delivery of
Express Mail on Sunday and holidays. Comments from interested parties are due
February 19, 2008, and rates will become effective March 3, 2008.
January 22, 2008
Logistics
Management has reported that according to National Retail Federation
President and CEO Tracy Mullin said that "U.S. retailers, who are a
bellwether for our nation’s changing economic climate, are greatly concerned
about the softening of the U.S. economy.” “2007 holiday sales were the
weakest since 2002, and as the New Year begins, consumer spending remains
sluggish. Consumer spending represents 70 percent of the U.S. economy and has
fueled our economy for the past decade. We agree with economists who say the
fastest way for a stimulus to enter the economy is through the consumer.”
As the
Courier, Express, and
Postal Observer has noted, "Last week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
issued the report "Accounting for Laws that Apply Differently to the United
States Postal Service and its Private Competitors." The report concluded that
"from the USPS's perspective, its unique legal status likely provides it with a
net competitive disadvantage versus private carriers." This conclusion runs
counter to the arguments made by the USPS's competitors and could put to rest
arguments that private sector firms need protection from the USPS." A
reference piece has been made
available on this site with the permission of the author.
DutchNews.nl has reported that "TNT boss Peter Bakker should be removed as
chairman of a government committee set up to get more people back to work, say
Socialist Party MPs. They say Bakker has no credibility because his company is
sacking thousands of postal delivery workers and replacing them with freelancers
paid by the hour. Postal unions claim Bakker is also trying to undermine German
minimum wage legislation."
TypicallySpanish has reported that "The Spanish post office, Correos, is to
stop home deliveries in isolated areas. In a little publicised move, a decree
from the Ministry for Development now allows Correos to cancel the delivery of
letters and packages to homes where there is a low density of housing or to
isolated homes. Under the new regulations Correos will no longer be obliged to
deliver to houses that are more than 250 metres from a main road."
Hemscott has reported that "TNT NV has lodged a lawsuit with a Berlin
commercial court in a bid to have the alternative minimum wage it is paying its
German-based workers to be declared valid in a dispute the Dutch postal company
is locked in around the liberalisation of the German postal market."
As one
writer for the
Huntington News put it: "For years I have complained about getting too much
mail I didn’t want. Especially catalogs. Some companies even sent me two or
three identical copies. And, even when I moved to another city they still found
a way to catch up with me and clutter my mailbox. For years I have advocated
what I call a “No Junk Mail Registry.” But now, thanks to the Direct Marketing
Association, you and I can now decide what catalogs and other mail we want or do
not want to receive. I congratulate the leadership and membership for its DMA
Choice which allows us to decide what we want in our mailbox. Equally as
important is the fact that the trade organization, which represents businesses
and nonprofits that use direct marketing tools, took the initiative rather than
being forced to do so by the federal government."
From the
Federal Register: The agenda for the open and closed session of the
January meeting of the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors has been posted.
Afriquenligne has reported that "The Congolese government plans to disburse
six billion CFA francs to finance the recovery plan of the Congolese Posts and
Savings Company (SOPECO)."
Mailers Council executive director Robert
McLean has reported that "The Postal Service has notified the APWU that it
intends to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the outsourcing of some Bulk
Mail Center activities. At a January 9 meeting with APWU national officers,
postal officials presented a “pre-decisional briefing” on its Request for
Information (RFI) Concerning a Time-Definite Surface Network. The briefing was a
follow-up to a September 11, 2007, meeting. Through the RFI, issued on July 24,
2007, the USPS sought to gather market research and to identify interested
private companies with the ability to sort and transport parcels and standard
mail, duties that are currently performed in the BMC network. At the January 9
briefing, the USPS indicated that it intends to proceed to the next step of
issuing a RFP designed to outsource some BMC activities."
Gulf Times has reported that "rising inflation badly hit the country’s
postal sector last year, said Q-Post chairman Ali Mohamed al-Ali yesterday. The
chairman said the country’s postal corporation suffered heavily in 2007 because
of the unprecedented inflation witnessed by Qatar. “Owing to the huge rise in
prices, the postal corporation could not carry out its expansion to the desired
levels in 2007,” he said."
January 21, 2008
From
Canada NewsWire: "The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) is hosting a
public forum on the future of public postal services in light of Canada Post's
recent announcement to invest 1.9 billion dollars in capital expenditures to
modernize the post office."
From
Business Wire: "Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c79950)
has announced the addition of Couriers in the US to their offering. This
industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in providing air, surface,
or combined courier delivery services of parcels generally between metropolitan
areas or urban centers. The establishments of this industry form a network
including courier local pick-up and delivery to serve their customers needs.
This report covers the scope, size, disposition and growth of the industry
including the key sensitivities and success factors. Also included are five year
industry forecasts, growth rates and an analysis of the industry key players and
their market shares.
From
Marketwire: "Harte-Hanks
Shoppers, a division of Harte-Hanks, Inc., has announced the re-naming of its
print publication the PennySaver, the largest direct mail shopper publication in
the United States with nearly 10 million weekly circulation in California, to
PennySaverUSA.com, matching the name of its nationwide local advertising Web
site portal."
DMNews talks with Dan G. Blair, chairman, Postal Regulatory Commission, an
interview.
Vanguard has noted that "Along with the internet, with which it is rapidly
merging, the wireless mobile telephone network is the most astonishing
technology story of our time, and one that has the power to revolutionise access
to information across the developing world. Unfortunately, rich country biases
limit understanding of this amazing phenomenon: for those in North America or
Western Europe the cell phone is primarily or uniquely a phone designed to make
voice calls."
The
Accra Daily Mail
has reported that "The Ghana Post Company Limited has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding with the Ministry of Manpower Development under which monies would
be disbursed free of charge to the vulnerable in society as a form of social
welfare. The disbursement would be done on quarterly basis in the districts
where social welfare personnel would help identify those in need to enable
personnel of Ghana Post to allocate monies to such individuals."
The
News.pl has
reported that "The Polish postal service is to be turned from state-owned
enterprise into a sole shareholder company of the State Treasury, which would
allow for further privatisation in the future."
The
Times of Malta has published a list of milestones in Malta Post history.
January 20, 2008
Trade Arabia has
reported that "Emirates Post, the state-owned UAE monopoly postal service, said
it is in talks to spend as much as 1.5 billion dirhams ($408.4 million) on
acquisitions in Asia, including Malaysia and Singapore."
Al Bawaba has
reported that "Noor Islamic Bank PJSC (“Noor”) and Emirates Post Holding Group
have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a company that will
offer banking services to the low income segment of the UAE population. The new
venture is in line with recent Federal Government initiatives aimed at the low
income segment, and will develop specific products and services to cater to
their needs.
Scotland on Sunday has reported that "a fleet of orange-uniformed TNT
postmen will soon take on the Royal Mail on the streets of Scotland. It is
understood that TNT Post is planning to launch its own end-to-end service early
this year in order to reduce the amount of business it hands back to its rival."
January 19, 2008
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The latest issue of
the PostCom Bulletin is available online. In this issue:
The Postal Service’s 2007 Annual Report explains that despite a reported $5.1 billion loss due to passage of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, the USPS had a good year.
The U. S. Postal Service has published its 2007 Comprehensive Statement on Postal Operations. PostCom’s review of the publication provides highlights of the report.
The Association for Postal Commerce, joined by the Direct Marketing Association, have filed comments on the USPS’ proposed service performance measurement systems for market-dominant products.
USPS Inspector General David Williams takes issue with the views and opinions expressed by National Association of Letter Carriers President William Young.
FTC: USPS needs fewer restraints, greater autonomy. USPS Announces Two New Shipping Initiatives. UPS to buy back $10 billion in stock. DHL, drugstore develop dropoff deal. Alpine to carry for UPS in the Wild West.
Analysts see Deutsche Post reducing DHL’S U.S. role. Deutsche Post competitors still crying ‘foul’ over VAT. More MaltaPost, Emirates Post shares go on sale.
Lenser, Taylor Gifts join PostCom.
A list of upcoming postal-related events.

As the
Associated Press has noted, "After listening to complaints that being part
of government gives the Postal Service a competitive advantage, Congress
directed the Federal Trade Commission to investigate. Turns out, just the
opposite is true. Yes, there are advantages to being part of the government, but
they are outweighed by limitations and restrictions on government agencies, the
FTC found."
Postalnews.com has reported that:
The American Postal Workers Union and the National Association of Letter Carriers have filed suit against the Postal Service and the Office of Inspector General for systematic and widespread intrusions into the medical records of postal employees.
The Postal Service has notified the APWU that it intends to issue a Request for Proposals for the outsourcing of some Bulk Mail Center activities. At a Jan. 9 meeting with APWU national officers, postal officials presented a “pre-decisional briefing” on its Request for Information (RFI) Concerning a Time-Definite Surface Network. The briefing was a follow-up to a Sept. 11, 2007, meeting. Through the RFI, issued on July 24, the USPS sought to gather market research and to identify interested private companies with the ability to sort and transport parcels and standard mail — duties that are currently performed in the BMC network. At the Jan. 9 briefing, the USPS indicated that it intends to proceed to the next step — to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) designed to outsource some BMC activities. There was, however, also discussion of “in-sourcing” some functions that are currently performed by non-USPS employees.
January 18, 2008
The Postal
Regulatory Commission has posted comments on the
rulemaking governing mail service performance standards on its web site.
The latest copy of the National Association of Postmasters of the U.S. electronic governmental affairs newsletter is available on the NAPUS web site.
The
Rochester Democrat & Chronicle has reported that "Postal Service officials
on Thursday outlined plans that would close some offices in the Rochester area
and consolidate some carrier services. Five of the six affected branches are in
the city, and the other is in Greece. The changes are needed to streamline
operations and to save money, said Rochester Postmaster Karl Anderson."
As the
Postal Service's Joanne Giordano told the Concord Monitor, "The opinion
piece titled "Make it easy to end flood of junk mail" (Steven Krieger and George
DeWolf, Monitor Forum, Jan. 11) contains a number of inaccurate, misleading and
misinformed statements that need to be addressed and corrected. Primary among
them is the fact that consumers have several options to help manage the amount
and type of mail that enters their home. And, they're all free." [EdNote:
Joanne....kudos!]
Traffic
World has reported that:
No relief in sight from higher fuel costs and tight credit could mean more bankruptcies are on the way in the trucking industry - along with less capacity and higher rates for shippers. That mix of lower rates and plentiful capacity is about to reach a tipping point, and smaller carriers may be the ones who are tipping over. Industry observers say they are starting to see signs that the bankruptcies that often mark a steep falloff in trucking demand are starting to hit the market and transportation buyers are bracing for the impact.
Shippers are thinking inside, outside and all around the box as they try to cut shipping costs. In particular, Wal-Mart's packaging reduction initiative and the introduction of dimensional pricing by parcel carriers are prompting shippers to reexamine how they box their freight. But packaging experts say many shippers are passing up opportunities to wrap up savings.
Knocked back by domestic air cargo losses and watching customers move toward international trade, U.S.-based forwarders are looking for help to expand their footprints on foreign soil.
The
Armenian News Network
has reported that "During the PostEurop Plenary Assembly which took place on
January 16-17, in Krakow, Poland, members of PostEurop elected HayPost as their
45th member, and its first member from the South Caucasus. PostEurop is the
Association of now 44 European public postal operators and was created to
optimize postal operations and postal services in Europe, and foster greater
cooperation between its Members. It is working towards representing the entire
European postal industry.S"
The
United States Postal Service has given notice of a change in rates of
general applicability for a competitive product.
The change is the establishment of prices for a Priority Mail large-sized flat-rate box.
The establishment of a premium, in addition to current rates, for guaranteed delivery of Express Mail pieces on Sundays and holidays.
As
The Scotsman has noted, "it is not just commercial struggles which have
plagued the postal service. The darling of both the British public and
commercial businesses since Victorian times, it saw customers from all walks of
life forced to find alternative methods of communication during a series of
strikes at the end of last year. An agreement was finally reached in late
November, but not before Britain had suffered delays to millions of items of
mail. Now the company fears customers may have turned to electronic methods of
communication, or to rivals, who are stealthily siphoning off business as a
result of the Royal Mail's industrial action."
The
Financial Times has claimed that:
Mr Zumwinkel's "preoccupation has been to preserve Deutsche Post's letter monopoly, which is threatened by the European Union's decision to open up all national postal markets by 2011. His wheeze was to propose a high minimum wage for all postal workers to undermine his private sector competitors. Left-wing politicians in the grand coalition and unions were delighted, and have adopted the minimum wage idea as their own. The wages move drove up his company's share price. The trouble is that Mr Zumwinkel chose this moment to sell some of his options, picking up a windfall. This provoked an outcry; the politicians were not amused. Mr Zumwinkel had to apologise publicly. He no longer looks so secure at the helm of the post office in spite of his clever ploy.
Business Post, the parcel and mail delivery group, is now handling one in 10 mail items posted in the UK after winning contracts to deal with letters and packages for large business mailers.
KCCI.com
has reported that "Opting out of catalogs is a better choice than recycling,
according to Catalog Choice, because of the sheer environmental cost of
producing them." [EdNote: Is this truly how the catalogs who have signed up
for Catalog Choice feel about their businesses?]
January 17, 2008
The Postal
Service's
Office of the Inspector General has shared with its staff a rebuttal of the
charges leveled by National Association of Letter Carriers president William
Young.
Adotas has reported that
"Acxiom Corporation has announced that its Board of Directors has named John
Meyer as the new CEO and president. Meyer has been president of the Global
Services group of Alcatel-Lucent since 2003. Before that venture, he spent about
20 years in various high-profile positions at EDS."
The
Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service will meet in Washington, DC,
at Postal Service Headquarters, 475 L’Enfant Plaza, SW, on Jan. 29-30, 2008. The
public is welcome to observe the Board’s open session, scheduled to begin at
8:30 a.m. on Jan. 30 in the Ben Franklin Room on the 11th floor.
According to the
Ottawa
Business Journal, "Commercial printing company Quebecor World Inc. has
managed to extend its deadline for locating funding to reduce its credit
facility, and is now scrambling to wrap up a previously announced rescue
financing deal. Quebecor World, which was supposed to find US$125 million in
funding by 9 p.m. Wednesday as it faces bankruptcy protection, now has until 9
a.m. on Jan. 20 to satisfy "certain conditions" that would allow it to go ahead
with a C$400-million bailout plan with Tricap Partners Ltd. Tricap and the
printing company's parent Quebecor Inc. said in a press release they "have made
progress on the satisfaction of these conditions and have requested additional
time to attempt to satisfy them." See also the
Merced Sun-Star,
the
Globe and Mail, and the
Jonesboro Sun.
Hongkong Post and China Post-Shenzhen Post Bureau have jointly launched the
Hong Kong-Shenzhen Direct Mail Service. The service has been introduced in
response to market demand for more efficient communication between Hong Kong and
Shenzhen as a result of the increasingly prosperous social and economic
interaction between the two places. Business enterprises of both regions can use
the new service to develop cross-border business opportunities. To introduce the
new service, Hongkong Post and China Post-Shenzhen Post Bureau today jointly
held a seminar on "How Direct Mail Can Help Companies Grasp the Cross-border
Business Opportunities with Mainland China" at the Hong Kong Convention and
Exhibition Centre followed by the Agreement Signing Ceremony.
From
Mailing Systems Technology: "January 2009, the USPS' scheduled date for IMB
compliance, is coming fast. And like many, your organization may still be
undecided about the best IMB strategy for your organization — both in the short
and long term. During the first half of the Webcast, we will examine the latest
information on IMB, and then we will open the forum to answer questions and
concerns from you, the audience. Visit
MAST's website for more information or
register today!
From
PR Newswire: "The New Law passed in FY07 is affecting the shipping industry.
Use this law to your advantage. Find out the intricacies of the law. And then
learn the answers to: what are the best opportunities for growth, and where will
the best opportunities be for shippers to get the most value for their shipping
dollars? "
The U.S.
Postal Service has told the Postal Regulatory Commission:
In response to expressions of interest in the results of demand analyses which incorporate volume and price data from FY 2007, the Postal Service is providing the enclosed two CD-ROMs. The contents of these CD-ROMs update the demand analyses for categories of domestic mail and services presented by postal witnesses in Docket No. R2006-1, using the more recent (i.e., through Quarter 4 of FY 2007) volume and price data. In addition, demand analyses relating to certain international mail services are also included. The international materials have no direct counterpart in the Docket No. R2006-1 testimonies, as demand analyses for international mail categories were never provided by postal witnesses in omnibus rate cases.
The first CD-ROM provides materials relating to mail categories which fall into the Market Dominant domain, while the second CD-ROM provides materials relating to mail categories in the Competitive domain. In general, the Postal Service maintains its position that materials relating to Competitive categories of mail are internal documents of a commercially sensitive nature that under good business practices should not be disclosed publicly. Accordingly, the Postal Service requests that the Commission withhold all of the materials within the Competitive CD-ROM from public disclosure. On the other hand, the materials presented within the Market Dominant CD-ROM are appropriate for public disclosure.
From
PR Newswire: "As of January 2008, FedEx, UPS and DHL all increased their net
average shipping rates for express services by 4.9 percent. The carriers are
justifying the increase as a necessity to provide enhanced levels of service to
their customers. The U.S. Postal Service did not increase its rates for 2008.
Even though shipping rate increases are typically an annual event, merchants
with small profit margins are affected the most, obliged to pass the increased
costs to their customers."
Media Daily News has reported that "magazines are well-positioned to compete
in today's media landscape, but must adapt quickly or face losing ground to new
types of content publishers--be it the Internet or elsewhere. That's according
to John Griffin, the president of the National Geographic Group and the new
chairman of the Magazine Publishers of America."
BrandRepublic has reorted that "UK postal watchdog Postcomm is to simplify
licensing procedures for non-universal service operators, allowing smaller
postal and communication companies to gain a better foothold in the market."
With a
little tongue in cheek, the
Daily Telegraph has set out a "welcome to the post office of the future,
where you can pick up a package, a pint and a pack of chips - and the mailman
pulls beers. That is the apparent vision of Australia Post, which has sold a
community's post office to a contractor who runs it out of his pub. This caused
some difficulties among Kariong local youths, on the Central Coast, who were for
a long time unable to buy a stamp until they turned 18." [EdNote: Just think.
A Sam Adams and a Forever Stamp. It's got my vote.]
Canadian Transportation and Logistics has reported that "UPS has been
boosting international revenue at a faster rate than in the US, where the
economic expansion is waning, according to the Toronto Star. The report said UPS
international operations accounted for 28% of the company's total revenue in
2006."
The
Financial Times has reported that "Royal Mail’s postal operation could be
split in two under proposals put forward by the postal regulator to increase
competition and reduce the burden of regulation. Postcomm has written to all
postal operators, organisations representing mail users and Postwatch, the
consumer watchdog, asking them for their views on five options for regulating
the industry from 2010. Royal Mail said: “Raising the issue of separation is a
pointless distraction when the debate should focus on how to protect the
one-price-goes-anywhere universal service in a competitive market."
According
to the
Philippine Information Agency, "Residents of Northern Samar will now enjoy a
speedy postal service delivery for their mails sent to and from Catarman,
Northern Samar and Manila. Postmaster General & CEO Hector R. Villanueva of the
Philippine Postal Corporation or PhilPost recently approved the request of
PhilPost-8 Regional Director Fabioleta P. Ferraris for a two-way Catarman-Manila
route mail dispatch via Air Philippines effective January 14, 2008."
CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:
DHL appears to be experiencing greater difficulties in the USA than generally thought. A report made available to the CEP News editors states that a quick and radical decision is needed urgently.
The German Association of Courier, Express and Postal Service Providers (BdKEP e.V.) has filed a complaint with the EU Commission against alleged illegal government subsidies for Deutsche Post.
UPS CEO Scott Davis sees a growing risk of an economic recession in the USA.
Germany’s Pin-Group is launching a sales campaign in an attempt to limit the damage caused by loss of custom.
An expert report commissioned by the German employers’ organisation AGV Postdienste, which maintains links to Deutsche Post, has found that the minimum wage agreement concluded between AGV and trade union ver.di must apply to all mail service providers in Germany.
Pick up mail from the customer, scan it and send it to the addressee via e-mail - a business concept which obviously works in the USA. At least for Earth Class Mail, a new company based in Seattle, which is now snowed under with orders and now operates 19 branches all over the country, German daily »Die Welt« (10.1) reported.
Thailand Post Co intends to hand over 20 branches to franchisees under the name of Thailand Post Shops.
time:matters, which claims to be in pole position in the German Special Speed market, took over Dutch express operator JNE on 1 January.
"We would like to bring everything that is currently transported by air over night across Europe onto high-speed rail", said Guillaume Pepy, CEO of France’s railway company SNCF, as he was again announcing plans for a super-fast freight train across Europe.
According to media reports, 10 companies have so far submitted bids for a 60-% share in Korea Express.
Up to 40% of the shares in Emirates Post (Empost) are to be sold at the stock exchange during the second half of 2008.
Spain’s Correos has introduced electric vehicles into its fleet.
German CEP service provider GO! has completed construction of a sorting centre in Niederaula, Germany.
By this summer, Deutsche Post intends to put up around 1,000 parcel boxes throughout Germany.
From 1 March US carrier Alpine Air Express will carry cargo for UPS to 11 locations in Montana, Wyoming and Colorado.
The MRU, founded in 1992, is the only consultancy in Europe, which has specialised in the market of courier-, express- and parcel services. For large-scale shippers and CEP-services in particular, the MRU provides interdisciplinary advice for all major questions of the market, as there are for example market entry, product design, organisation, and EDP.To learn more about the stories reported above, contact CEP News. (We appreciate the courtesy extended by CEP News to help whet your appetite for more of what CEP offers.)
Hemscott has reported that "Otto's logistics group Hermes, which specializes
in package delivery, is demanding that the German government exempt it from
paying value-added tax, Financial Times Deutschland reported, citing chief
executive Hanjo Schneider. 'We want to be exempt from value-added tax, just like
Deutsche Post,' he said."
According to
KGMB.com, "Of all that
was lost, the pilot 38-year-old Paul Akita will be missed most. His body still
lost in the ocean. But also gone: the majority of 4,200 pounds of mail. Only a
fraction was recovered from the downed Alpine Air flight, subcontracted by the
U.S. Postal Service."
As
Reuters has noted, "The U.S. Postal
Service is hurt more than it is helped by its status as a government entity,
the Federal Trade Commission said in a study released on Wednesday. Federal
constraints, such as restrictions on the postal service's ability to manage its
labor force and configure its network, increase its costs by an estimated $330
million to $782 million a year, the FTC found. The FTC report recommended that
Congress reduce constraints on the postal service, narrow the scope of its
monopoly, and make the postal service's competitive products division a separate
corporate entity."
The
Globe and Mail has reported that "Quebecor World Inc. shares plummeted
yesterday on the prospect that the beleaguered printing giant's banks might not
grant the financial breathing room it needs, which could force it to seek court
protection from its creditors."
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PostCom welcomes its newest member: Taylor Gifts, Inc. 600 Cedar Hollow Road Paoli, PA 19301-1753 represented by Frank Ruthkosky Vice President, Marketing |
January 16, 2008
AMEInfo has reported that "The
DHL-supported initiative, Connecting Cultures, was in the spotlight at the first
United Nations Alliance of Civilisations Forum, which brought together political
leaders, international organisations and members of civil society to discuss
cultural-related initiatives."
Javno has
reported that "Romania's president on Wednesday approved criminal inquiries into
corruption allegations against former Prime Minister Adrian Nastase and seven
other present and former government ministers. The European Union has told
Romania, which joined the bloc last year, that it must step up the fight against
widespread fraud or face sanctions. Bucharest is attempting to convince the EU
it taking steps to strengthen its judicial system and fight corruption ahead of
a progress report later this month. Former Justice minister Chiuariu is
suspected of abusing his position to approve the transfer of real estate owned
by the state postal company as a contribution in kind to the capital of a
private enterprise."
From the
U.S. Postal Service DMM Advisory: "The Consumer Price Index (CPI) was
updated today. The latest price cap for market dominant products is available on
the Postal Regulatory Commission’s Web site (prc.gov). Customers who would like
an indication of the potential average price change for each market dominant
class can refer to the Commission’s Web site."
The Price Cap for Market Dominant
Products is 2.9%
From
Business Wire: "ABB Robotics has been selected by the United States Postal
Service (USPS) as a pre-qualified integrator for general material handling
systems, expanding the company’s scope of supply beyond robotic containerization
systems (RCS), which ABB has been providing to the USPS since 1999."
The
San Antonio Business Journal has reported that "AT&T Government Solutions, a
business unit of AT&T Inc., won a $20 million task order to provide software
verification and validation services for the U.S. Postal Service's automated
mail-processing and sorting systems. AT&T's software engineering teams will test
the Postal Service's systems that help process more than 200 billion pieces of
mail each year. "
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PostCom welcomes its newest member: LENSER 899 Northgate Drive, Suite 530 San Rafael, CA 94903-3667 represented by John F. Lenser President. |
For a quick
read on what the FTC had so say in its report on the Postal Service, check the
Post Notes blog.
UNI-Postal has reported that "UNI is urging affiliates to join the protests
against Dutch-based post and logistics giant TNT for undermining laws in Germany
to protect postal workers as the sector is de-regulated."
Forbes has noted that "Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck plans to maintain
Deutsche Post AG's exemption from Germany's general sales tax, Frankfurter
Allgemeine Zeitung reported, citing draft documents it obtained. The move would
rebuff economy minister Michael Glos, who is seeking to limit Deutsche Post's
existing tax break to services to households and small businesses, the newspaper
said."
Precision Marketing has reported that "Royal Mail is stepping up its efforts
to get companies to use direct mail by creating a new personalised mailpack made
entirely of chocolate. The pack aims to demonstrate to businesses the benefits
of enhancing brand communications by engaging more senses through direct mail
initiatives with its own chocolate mailing."
The Peninsula has reported that "Qatar is leading an initiative in
collaboration with the Universal Postal Union (UPU) to ensure that payments
between countries are made on time. The General Postal Corporation (Q-Post) is
hosting a meeting at the General Post Office to determine which company would be
best suited to provide the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology."
Hemscott has reported that "Parcel carrier Business Post Group PLC said
third-quarter revenues in its growing mail business lifted 60 pct over a year
earlier as it announced group trading in line with expectations. Business Post,
which is challenging state-owned postal carrier Royal Mail, said its mail
operation, UK Mail, won significant contracts with new customers including MBNA
and Norwich Union in the period." See also the
Financial Times.
January 15, 2008
The
Federal Trade Commission has issued its
report on "Accounting For Laws That Apply Differently To The United States Postal Service
And Its Private Competitors." On this site, you also can find the "Statement Of Commissioners Pamela Jones Harbour And Jon Leibowitz Concurring In
Part" to the Congressional Postal Study.
And this
from
Infoworld: "A partnership unveiled this week between Microsoft, MediaCart
Holdings, and Wakefern Food will deliver personalized ads to grocery shoppers
through computerized carts."
The
Macomb
Journal has told its readers that "Beginning Tuesday, Jan. 22, the Journal
will begin delivering newspapers to our rural readers through the U.S. Postal
Service. In the past, motor route carriers have driven county roads to deliver
the daily newspaper. Several of our motor route drivers now will be dropping off
papers at area post offices early every morning to ensure prompt delivery by
your rural carrier - the same day. By using the Postal Service, we hope to
provide dependable service six days a week."
The Fifth
conference on “Regulation, Competition
and Universal Service in the Postal Sector” will be held in Toulouse on
March 13-14, 2008.
On-line registration for conference attendance is now available. The
deadline for the registration is February 15th, 2008. All information about the
conference is available on the web site at
http://idei.fr/conference/postal_fifth.html.
OnRec.com has reported
that "Woodland conservation charity The Woodland Trust is challenging businesses
to follow Royal Mail Group’s example in enabling its people to offset their
carbon emissions by planting trees. Already 130 employees from Royal Mail, Post
Office Ltd and Parcelforce Worldwide have signed up to the newly launched scheme
to give money direct from their wage packets to the Woodland Trust, which will
enable the charity to plant and look after 2,500 trees in its 1,000 UK woods."
From
Marketwire:
"Canada Post Corporation would like to firmly dispel any misconceptions that
might have arisen, from recent media reports or other sources, about the future
of rural mail delivery. We would like to reiterate our commitment to rural mail
delivery and to assure our customers that the ongoing Rural Mail Safety Review
is NOT an attempt to reduce service in rural Canada. It is aimed at providing
our Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers (RSMC) a workplace free of undue risk."
The
Pakistan Post (PP) has increased its service charges with the start of 2008,
according to an official notification made available to
Daily Times.
The
Pacific News Center has reported that "The United States Postal Service may
put on hold its plan to stop home delivery to some routes on Guam after local
postal employees filed a grievance with the agency. The US Postal Service
recently ordered home delivery stopped on some routes because the condition of
the roads on the island were not acceptable to federal standards."
The
Sydney Morning Herald has noted that "The Postal and Telecommunications
Union has called for a government inquiry into Australia Post following
revelations that a NSW Central Coast post office is being run out of a pub.
Central NSW Branch Secretary of the CEPU Postal and Telecommunications Union Jim
Metcher said an inquiry should be held to examine the impact on Australian
postal services after the sell-off of post offices."
Supply Chain Review has reported