TNT Post launches tracked packet and parcel service in UK

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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Royal Mail’s biggest rival in the mail sphere, TNT Post UK, has launched a new tracked packet and small parcel service that could increase pressure on the UK universal service provider’s e-commerce growth.

TNT Post said the new P&P InSight service comes as part of its Packet & Parcels service, allowing shippers to track packets or parcels through the chain until it reaches the last mile.

The new service is a downstream access product, meaning that Royal Mail itself will be involved in the service as a delivery partner, but a spokesperson for TNT told Post&Parcel this morning that the company is also “in discussion with a number of other parties at present” with regard to last mile delivery.

TNT Post, which has been challenging Royal Mail’s last mile delivery monopoly with its postal service since 2012, said P&P InSight will be scalable, suitable for both small e-commerce customers and large ones.

It could also be used by e-commerce fulfillment businesses working with e-commerce clients.

Customers can use existing barcodes for tracing purposes, with TNT Post providing item-level data on weight and format. Along with a daily file update, tracking information will be available through a new online web portal.

The service promises all the necessary information for eBay and Amazon sellers, and offers item-level data on weight and format, invoicing data and data for reconciliation and onward invoicing.

Nick Wells, CEO TNT Post UK, said the new P&P InSight represented more innovation within his company’s postal business.

“For the first time clients can track any item through our network via an online portal that’s really simple to use and also improves customer service by real time data helping answer queries quickly and efficiently,” he said.

“We look forward to making further developments in our P&P service to meet the changing needs of our customers.”

TNT Post

TNT Post said its packets and parcels service is already handling more than 100m items a year, growing quickly with the growth of an e-commerce sector forecast to grow a further 16% in the UK in 2014.

The company currently works with clients including opticians Vision Express and Specsavers, TV gift seller The Jewellery Channel, CD and DVD reseller Music Magpie and electronics manufacturer Sony.

These clients commented that TNT Post has developed its services to meet the changing needs of their customers.

Michelle Rudisser-Street, head of operations at The Jewellery Channel, said: “One of the best things about TNT Post is that they work collaboratively with us to develop solutions to support our business, now and as it changes. They actively want to understand how we plan to evolve and grow our business, and how they can support us in these plans.”

TNT Post is owned by the Dutch postal operator PostNL, and has operated in the UK since early 2003, launching downstream access postal services in 2004 in which it collects and sorts mail with last mile delivery provided by Royal Mail.

The company now delivers more than 300m items each month, and since launching its own last mile mail delivery operations in West London in 2012, has expanded the service to other parts of the capital, and the cities of Manchester and Liverpool.

As the only major alternative last mile delivery provider to Royal Mail, TNT Post UK’s recent expansion has prompted the newly-privatised Royal Mail to demand that the UK regulator Ofcom protect the universal service from its competition.

Last month Royal Mail said competition in the letters sector was affecting its performance, while competition in the parcels sector has meant its volumes have remained flat despite the growth in UK e-commerce.

TNT Post’s launch of a tracked e-commerce solution comes as parcel carriers throughout the UK market are stepping up their tracking and data capabilities in order to win market shares from UK online shopping customers.

[SpacePhoenix]

Sounds like many more items to be scanned in inward MCs and DOs and out on delivery. At the rate this sort of thing is going i'd give it 1 and a half years at the absolute tops before RM offers tracking on absolutely everything apart from d2d

[PhilthyPhil]

I don't think they would be scanned by us:

TNT Post said the new P&P InSight service comes as part of its Packet & Parcels service, allowing shippers to track packets or parcels through the chain until it reaches the last mile.

[SpacePhoenix]

I don't think they would be scanned by us:

TNT Post said the new P&P InSight service comes as part of its Packet & Parcels service, allowing shippers to track packets or parcels through the chain until it reaches the last mile.

I think they will be:

The new service is a downstream access product, meaning that Royal Mail itself will be involved in the service as a delivery partner, but a spokesperson for TNT told Post&Parcel this morning that the company is also “in discussion with a number of other parties at present” with regard to last mile delivery.

though it looks like we may possibly end up loosing some DSA parcels

[Chitchat]

Royal mail need the commercial freedom to refuse contracts that undermine its future stability. Competition is using Royal mail to help them grow and then dumping us when they have enough work to bypass us.

[Lounge Lizard]

Royal mail need the commercial freedom to refuse contracts that undermine its future stability. Competition is using Royal mail to help them grow and then dumping us when they have enough work to bypass us.

The problem is that the regulator doesn't allow Royal Mail to charge what it likes for such work.

[Chitchat]

Royal mail need the commercial freedom to refuse contracts that undermine its future stability. Competition is using Royal mail to help them grow and then dumping us when they have enough work to bypass us.

The problem is that the regulator doesn't allow Royal Mail to charge what it likes for such work.

Yeah, we can all see the problems Royal mail face. Just wonder when ofcom will?

[raikky]

like Ofcom gives a s**t anyway. cant tnt do anything fully by themselves. they always have to piggyback off RM. next tnt will offer a special delivery service and expect us to give the final mile whe we all know for a starters its not the final mile its most of the work.