DHL Global Mail has launched a new cross-border delivery service for US e-tailers and mail ordercompanies targeting the growing UK online shopping market.
Track UK is a residential parcel service that offers fast transit times, tracking visibilityand customer-friendly delivery options at cost-effective rates, the company said. Transit timesfrom the US are 3-5 days, and final delivery in Britain is handled by DHL Express.
The service is the latest innovation in DHL Global Mail’s ongoing effort to meet UScompanies’ demand for midrange-priced residential parcel delivery solutions to foreign countrieswith Track & Trace visibility. Having launched similar services to Latin America, Japan andeight other Asian countries in recent years, DHL Global Mail now provides parcel tracking to 32international destinations through its worldwide delivery network.
DHL Global Mail, which offers solutions for high-volume mailers and parcel shippers, said itdeveloped Track UK in response to customer requests. The UK is already a major parcel market, andonline retail spending in the country is forecast to triple to £44.9 billion ($67.7 billion) by2012 compared to the 2007 level of £14.7 billion ($22.2 billion).
“By extending our suite of Track & Trace parcel services to include the UK, we arepleased to provide another way to help our customers grow their businesses internationally,” saidPaul Tessy, Vice President of Product Management, Commercial and Strategy, for DHL Global Mail –Americas. “Track UK is an attractive option because it is reasonably priced, yet offers fastertransit times and better customer service than traditional mail providers.”
Average transit times are 3-5 days for the new service, which covers 100% of the UK. Amongother advantages, Track UK features an extended delivery window up to 9 p.m. and allows consumersto arrange alternative delivery times to suit their schedules. As a result, more consumers gettheir deliveries the first time and companies receive fewer returned packages.
Customers can easily track their shipments through DHL Global Mail’s web portal, which alsoprovides access to invoices and custom reports to help companies manage their internationalshipping programs. Additionally, Track UK includes customs clearance and returns notification, andboth free domicile and non-free domicile are available.
