Postal Hub podcast

André Pharand, strategic advisor to Open Pricer, and Nicolas Nemorin, Head of Customer Success Management at Open Pricer, explain how to increase the profitability of parcels by using better costing to improve pricing. Postal and parcel operators not having good visibility of their costs Winning the parcel pricing wars The connection between costing and pricing The need to validate profitability i...

Abdulla Mohammed Alashram, Group CEO of 7X, discusses the transformation of the Emirates Post Group into a new enterprise. The strategy that drove the transformation and rebrand of Emirates Post Group to 7X The significance of the number seven and the letter X 7X's subsidiaries Emirates Post, EMX courier and parcels, Fintx, and EDC electronic document centre Technology underpinning the new group-w...

Alan Barrie, delivery sector expert and Chair of Stamp Free, discusses research into delivery sector trends. Research commissioned by Stamp Free into postal and parcel trends Competition for market share Dynamism of the UK delivery market, with traditional and alternative carriers The growth and scale fuelling competition in the last mile Structural issues creating issues for established delivery...

Kathleen Cauwelier, PhD Researcher at Mobilise VUB, discusses her recent research on the green delivery attitude-behaviour gap, including consumers' willingness to select "green" delivery options. How consumers say they want to behave and how they actually act Defining the attitude-behaviour gap Survey understanding consumers' delivery preferences and habits Identifying groups of consumers with co...

Restaurant delivery expert Peter Backman - the brains behind thedelivery.world and The Delivery Prophets - discusses the differences and similarities between food delivery and parcel delivery. The difference between restaurant delivery and grocery delivery Why restaurant delivery is not a new thing Technology and delivery aggregators changing restaurant delivery Importance of timeliness to restaur...

Belgian postal operator bpost has launched its carbon calculator, which estimates the carbon emissions associated with domestic parcels. Karin Enzlin, Head of Sustainability at bpost, discusses how the carbon calculator works and what it could mean for e-commerce delivery. Background on bpost's environmental and sustainability strategy and ambitions Electrifying the last mile and using out-of-home...

Axel Dekker, CEO and co-founder of Packaly, discusses delivery optimisation, reducing emissions, and reporting emissions. Overview of the Packaly network Freelance riders and local partners Consolidating orders   Ship-from-store and ship-from-hub Choosing the right vehicle for delivery routes Managing volumes (size) and routing for delivery vehicles Working with retailers and delivery partners to...

Kati Nevalainen, Director, Parcel Services at  Matkahuolto, discusses parcel delivery across Finland and the Nordics: History of Matkahuolto carrying parcels Matkahuolto's public transport roots B2B, B2C and C2C deliveries Interacting with C2C via mobile apps as well as in-store Residential delivery and out-of-home delivery Matkahuolto's service point network Finnish consumers' delivery preference...

Peter Dunn, Director of European Relations, Cullen International, discusses the USO, how European postal operators are reacting to falling letter volumes, and more. The purpose of the Postal Services Directive, including letters USO and quality of service How local universal service obligations can be changed Flexibility provisions in Postal Services Directive Changes to letter delivery frequency...

Professor John Colley from the Warwick Business School discusses developments in gig economy delivery and ultrafast grocery delivery (q-commerce). We cover: Demise of rapid, ultrafast delivery Difficult economics of ultrafast delivery High costs of q-commerce never passed on to consumers Supermarket chains acquiring failed rapid delivery startups Availability of venture capital funding Gig economy...

Rob King, CEO and co-founder at Zedify, discusses customer experience in the last mile, sustainability, greenwashing, and cargo bike delivery. Creating better delivery for customers and the environment Large vehicles vs small vehicles in urban delivery Microhubs in cities The last mile as an extension of the online retailer's brand Retailers paying more attention to delivery emissions Key factors...

Phil Read, Managing Director at Varamis, talks about using electric trains to transport parcels overnight in the UK: The inspiration behind Varamis Advantage of using high-speed passenger trains for moving parcels Acquiring electric trains Overnight parcel train service between Birmingham and Glasgow Proving trains can meet demands of parcel delivery sector Train paths - slots in the railway timet...

Myrthe Rosema, founder of social-inclusive delivery start-up Scootbezorgd, discusses the practical and social impact of last mile delivery via mobility scooter. The inspiration for Scootbezorgd Changing perceptions of mobility scooters Current operational area Using customised mobility scooters to ensure range Empowering people of differing physical and mental abilities to deliver B2B and B2C deli...

Carmen Cureu, Market Research Director at Geopost, discusses some of the details in the 2023 edition of Geopost's e-shopper barometer. The factors driving modern e-commerce Why convenience is important E-commerce allowing customers to find bargains Decisions shoppers make when purchasing online Products need to be aligned with consumers' expectations Barriers to e-shoppers returning to an e-commer...

How can delivery companies build efficient out-of-home delivery networks? Cédric Hervet, co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Kardinal, discusses the challenges industry players face in finding the best locations for PUDOs and lockers in terms of profitability and customer coverage: Why delivery companies are considering out-of-home delivery Differences between B2B and B2C parcel delivery First...

Luke Lloyd, Head of Markets at the IPC, discusses some of the key findings from the IPC's Global Postal Industry Report. GPIR based on various postal operators' reports Overview of post-pandemic parcel volume and revenue trends Letter volume trends Impact of pandemic on letter volumes Diversification of revenue, including letters, parcels, and financial services Variations in diversification acros...

Titus Bütler, Head of Transport at Swiss Post, explains why and how Swiss Post is moving more mail and parcels by rail. How demands for speed and flexbility drove growth of road freight in the past Energy efficiency of rail vs trucks Rail terminals at Swiss Post logistics centres Ecological and economic benefits of prioritising rail Hybrid locomotives going into logistics centres Length vs speed o...

Vienna has set up a carrier-neutral parcel locker network called Wienbox. Some of Wienbox's key proponents discuss the parcel locker network's development and future. Monika Unterholzner, Deputy Director General of the Wiener Stadtwerke Group, whose responsibilities include logistics, Prof. Dr. Andreas Breinbauer, Head of the Logistics Department at the University of Applied Sciences BFI Vienna, w...

Mustafa Tonguç, Managing Director at DHL Express Germany, discusses supply chain resilience and the growth in global B2B e-commerce: Why supply chain resilience is crucial Manufacturing being stimulated around the world DHL helping customers create new supply chains Enabling late customer checkout times for next-day delivery Omni-shoring, near-shoring and friend-shoring Sustainability and ethicall...

Kate Muth, Executive Director at IMAG (International Mailers Advisory Group) discusses developments in international mail. Being awarded the Megan J Brennan Award by Women in Logistics & Delivery Services (WILDS) US de minimis threshold - currently $800 Modernisation of US Customs STOP Act 2.0 update AED / EAD exemptions Opioid crisis, counterfeiting and forced labour Inbound parcel volumes under...

Luke Lloyd, Head of Markets, IPC (International Post Corporation) discusses the 2022 results of the IPC Sustainability Measurement and Management System. Background to development of the IPC's SMMS Carbon emissions, health & safety, circular economy 31 postal operators report under SMMS, including 100,000 buildings, 600,000 vehicles, and 1.3m employees Progress towards 2030 targets, including rene...

In this special end-of year episode, Jonathan Bouaziz (Kardinal), Kevin Seller (Escher), Will Simpson (Kantar) and David Spottiswood (Hurrican) cover different aspects of the postal and delivery world.   Jonathan Bouaziz, CEO at Kardinal, discusses: Optimising PUDO networks Understanding the implications of making changes to a PUDO network Merging letter and parcel delivery Creating delivery effic...

Mike Plunkett, President at PostCom, and Mark Fallon, President of the Berkshire Company, discuss the state of affairs at the US Postal Service. Vacancies on USPS Board of Governors and impact on day-to-day USPS operations Employee headcount Letter pricing and price increases PRC's role in postal pricing Letter volume decline Ambiguity in the USA's Universal Service Obligation Driving efficiencies...

Dean Maciuba, Managing Partner (USA) for Crossroads Parcel Consulting, analyses the major trends in the US last mile over the past 12 months. Observations on 2023 peak season parcel volumes Technology allowing shipper diversifications and managing multiple carriers Surcharges pushing shippers to find alternatives to UPS or FedEx UPS and FedEx being aggressive in discounting Retailers taking delive...

Denmark has been at the vanguard when it comes to changes to letter delivery and digitisation of letter services. But new changes to the universal service obligation will have far-reaching implications for letter and parcel delivery in Denmark. Mindaugas Cerpickis and Jacob Østermann from Copenhagen Economics analyse the changes and implications for the postal world. Background to the USO being "a...