French postal operator La Poste yesterday unveiled a new range of letter products givingconsumers a choice of priority mail, slower but ‘green’ letters and a new hybrid ‘online letter’
service available from October 1, 2011.Up to now, La Poste has only offered a single standard letter product offering next-day deliveryof items up to 20g within France for €0.60. The ‘priority letter’ uses the well-known red-colouredstamp.
In future, the new ‘lettre verte’ (or ‘green letter’), with a green-coloured stamp, will offerdelivery in 48 hours for a cheaper price of €0.57. ‘Lettres vertes’ claim to be moreenvironmentally-friendly as they will be transported across France by road rather than air and willthus be responsible for 30% less CO2 emissions than a priority letter.
The third product is a hybrid mail service called ‘the online letter’. French consumers orbusinesses can send an electronic letter to La Poste by 19.00. This will then be printed, envelopedand delivered the next day by the postal company. An online letter will cost €0.99, includingpostage, printing, enveloping and distribution.
The new product range, which La Poste described as “unique in the world”, is being marketedunder the ‘Post like you live’ slogan. It was launched at a major PR event at the Parc des Princesstadium in Paris and a major publicity campaign will start on October 3 to promote the new mailproducts.
La Poste launched the three letter options after a broad customer consultation in 2010 whichcovered some 70,000 companies, small firms and consumers.
