How billionaire Kretinsky plans to save the UK's Royal Mail

[postslippete]

It's not a done deal yet and maybe it is unwise to speculate but not much is known about the 'Czech sphinx' but there have been quite a few misconceptions regarding Kretinksy with links to Putin and why he wants to buy our company. Kretinsky is a businessman and not a Russian oligarch. Kretinksy made most his fortunes in the energy industry with Eustream which transports Russian gas via pipelines running through Ukraine, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. A few years ago his main source of income (when Eustream represented 40% of EP infrastructure's) and underlying profits was under threat and DK risked taking a financial hit over his links with the Russian state gas giant Gazprom, which had been officially sanctioned. Just recently Gazprom sustained a loss of $7 billion last year and has just made its first annual loss for over 20 years as Russian gas sales to Europe has plummeted. Whilst the government cleared the biggest shareholder in IDS with links to Russia and allowed Kretinsky to increase his stake in the company at the time, the situation regarding Russia/Ukraine only seems to be getting worse and that might suggest why he has been steadily buying shares in other companies, offering bids and likely why he has offered to buy IDS outright. After all, much of the groundwork has been done for him by the current board in running the business down by making strategic losses based on transformation, coming to a deal with the Union and pushing forward with watering down the USO with OfCom.

[Barnacle]

There was an FT or Telegragh interview with him and I’ve just watched an MSN interview where he said the same things. He’s as wedded to parcels being the growth area as the current board are, which means that’s where the investment will continue to be focused which is all well and good but where is the growth in parcels going to come from to support this?

Unless RM have secret figures, which I doubt, all numbers point to parcel volumes doing the opposite of growing. They peaked during Covid and have now shrank back.

What is his plan to increase parcel volumes? Didn’t hear him say anything about that.

[Sean06]

There was an FT or Telegragh interview with him and I’ve just watched an MSN interview where he said the same things. He’s as wedded to parcels being the growth area as the current board are, which means that’s where the investment will continue to be focused which is all well and good but where is the growth in parcels going to come from to support this?

Unless RM have secret figures, which I doubt, all numbers point to parcel volumes doing the opposite of growing. They peaked during Covid and have now shrank back.

What is his plan to increase parcel volumes? Didn’t hear him say anything about that.

Parcels through the roof every day.

[Barnacle]

There was an FT or Telegragh interview with him and I’ve just watched an MSN interview where he said the same things. He’s as wedded to parcels being the growth area as the current board are, which means that’s where the investment will continue to be focused which is all well and good but where is the growth in parcels going to come from to support this?

Unless RM have secret figures, which I doubt, all numbers point to parcel volumes doing the opposite of growing. They peaked during Covid and have now shrank back.

What is his plan to increase parcel volumes? Didn’t hear him say anything about that.

Parcels through the roof every day.

It might seem like that but there are no figures to back that up.

[SpacePhoenix]

Unless RM have secret figures, which I doubt, all numbers point to parcel volumes doing the opposite of growing. They peaked during Covid and have now shrank back.

Seems like people are moving away from doing stuff online. Saw a mention a couple of weeks ago of Sainsburys the number of people shopping in-store is back up to pre-Covid levels.

[norris9]

Unless RM have secret figures, which I doubt, all numbers point to parcel volumes doing the opposite of growing. They peaked during Covid and have now shrank back.

Well, Covid was a totally unique situation...parcel volumes were obviously going to go down after covid...

The only thing I have heard him mention is setting things up so we deliver on the first attempt...with lockers...

That will save some time and therefore money over the longer term, but surely that isn't going to do that much to save money. Let's face it - posties doorstep a lot of parcels so 1st attempt is high because of that...

Other courier companies don't ask for signatures... so will he get rid of most 'signed-for' items....maybe.

To get parcel costs down he'll probably need to get owner-drivers in.... but will he.... how much does DPD and DHL pay their drivers - they are not owner-drivers, they are employed - I would not be surprised if they are paid similar to us.

[SpacePhoenix]

One thing he could do would be to allow PO branches to be able to sell Tracked

[LouBarlow]

Let us be honest, we need more ‘flexibility’ when it comes to delivering parcels first time, especially using common sense when it comes to safe places. That and actually conversing with our customers and asking them to nominate places to leave items.

It would also be an interesting approach to offer subsidised parcel boxes for people, although they are quite cumbersome and not everyone would be happy with having one attached to their houses.

[Barnacle]

Let us be honest, we need more ‘flexibility’ when it comes to delivering parcels first time, especially using common sense when it comes to safe places. That and actually conversing with our customers and asking them to nominate places to leave items.

It would also be an interesting approach to offer subsidised parcel boxes for people, although they are quite cumbersome and not everyone would be happy with having one attached to their houses.

Kretinsky isn’t interested in any of that. His idea for the future of parcels is parcel lockers, where we deliver to lockers rather than homes. This would cut staffing and vehicle costs.

[ted_e_bear]

One thing he could do would be to allow PO branches to be able to sell Tracked

It's coming they feature in the April price list, maybe already started.

[Smoothbackground]

Let us be honest, we need more ‘flexibility’ when it comes to delivering parcels first time, especially using common sense when it comes to safe places. That and actually conversing with our customers and asking them to nominate places to leave items.

It would also be an interesting approach to offer subsidised parcel boxes for people, although they are quite cumbersome and not everyone would be happy with having one attached to their houses.

Kretinsky isn’t interested in any of that. His idea for the future of parcels is parcel lockers, where we deliver to lockers rather than homes. This would cut staffing and vehicle costs.

This isn’t a new concept. For many decades now DX (previously Hays DX) has operated its private mail and parcel network for law firms in exactly this way, delivering to centralised parcel lockers. Maybe it is finally catching on…

[77SAMPOST77]

Unless RM have secret figures, which I doubt, all numbers point to parcel volumes doing the opposite of growing. They peaked during Covid and have now shrank back.

Well, Covid was a totally unique situation...parcel volumes were obviously going to go down after covid...

The only thing I have heard him mention is setting things up so we deliver on the first attempt...with lockers...

That will save some time and therefore money over the longer term, but surely that isn't going to do that much to save money. Let's face it - posties doorstep a lot of parcels so 1st attempt is high because of that...

Other courier companies don't ask for signatures... so will he get rid of most 'signed-for' items....maybe.

To get parcel costs down he'll probably need to get owner-drivers in.... but will he.... how much does DPD and DHL pay their drivers - they are not owner-drivers, they are employed - I would not be surprised if they are paid similar to us.

DPD Drivers are self employed .

[norris9]

At least we should find out about Kretinsky's plans later this week. Anyone know what day Dave Ward is meeting with him?

[qwerty2]

Let us be honest, we need more ‘flexibility’ when it comes to delivering parcels first time, especially using common sense when it comes to safe places. That and actually conversing with our customers and asking them to nominate places to leave items.

It would also be an interesting approach to offer subsidised parcel boxes for people, although they are quite cumbersome and not everyone would be happy with having one attached to their houses.

Kretinsky isn’t interested in any of that. His idea for the future of parcels is parcel lockers, where we deliver to lockers rather than homes. This would cut staffing and vehicle costs.

Do you think thousands of people are going leave their homes everyday to go into town and city centres

[Barnacle]

Let us be honest, we need more ‘flexibility’ when it comes to delivering parcels first time, especially using common sense when it comes to safe places. That and actually conversing with our customers and asking them to nominate places to leave items.

It would also be an interesting approach to offer subsidised parcel boxes for people, although they are quite cumbersome and not everyone would be happy with having one attached to their houses.

Kretinsky isn’t interested in any of that. His idea for the future of parcels is parcel lockers, where we deliver to lockers rather than homes. This would cut staffing and vehicle costs.

Do you think thousands of people are going leave their homes everyday to go into town and city centres

Lockers are everywhere already, not just in town centres. The new RM lockers haven’t been rolled out everywhere yet.

Personally, I think that the last thing the majority of people want to do is go and collect a parcel themselves, but they haven’t started selling the idea to an unwilling public yet. By the time parcel companies have finished, customer's will think it was their idea.