Air France-KLM express subsidiary Sodexi and Middle East carrier Aramex are targeting French smallbusinesses and consumers through a newly-launched online parcels portal “EnvoiMoinsCher.com”.
Prices will significantly undercut those of the leading global express operators.EnvoiMoinsCher (EMC), which is targeting one million online visitors a month and 400,000parcels booked through its system in its first year, announced yesterday that it had formedpartnerships with Sodexi and Aramex. According to information on its website, existing transportpartners include La Poste/Chronopost, TNT and Schenker but not DHL, FedEx or UPS. The portal, whichlaunched at the end of 2007, is targeting small businesses, online retailers and consumers, andoffers transportation of documents, parcels, pallets and freight.
The online parcels portal said Sodexi prices would be as much as 40% lower than competitoroffers. The express operator, which is majority-owned by Air France-KLM, would use capacity on theairline’s commercial flights and its network of sub-contractors to transport shipments. Sodexi,which has a 20,000 sqm hub at Paris CDG airport, aims to expand by building up a customer base ofsmall companies and consumers, EMC said in a statement.
Aramex, thanks to its strong presence in the Middle East and the Indian Ocean, could offercompetitive prices compared to other international express operators, the portal added. Itspartnership network Global Distribution Alliance, with combined revenues of EUR 6 billion, isdesigned to challenge the leading express networks, EMC noted.
EnvoiMoinsCher belongs to Boxtale, a company set up in 2007 by ex-Chronopost managerJean-Baptiste Renié and claims to be the first multi-carrier parcel booking platform in France. Theportal, which aims to improve transparency of competing offers for parcel delivery services, claimsto be completely independent of the partner carriers. The displayed rates are negotiated directlywith partner carriers.
Customers enter their shipment details and preferred transit and delivery times, receiveprice and service comparisons from the EMC database, select their preferred carrier and make anonline payment. They then receive a booking confirmation and shipping label to affix to theshipment which is collected by the carrier or dropped off at a selected parcel collection point.
