Leading postal operators in Europe will next year launch the IPC’s cross-border e-commercedelivery programme to speed up and simplify delivery of B2C parcels.
The IPC initiative comes ahead of this month’s publication of the European Commission’sconclusions from industry consultation on its Green Paper on cross-border deliveries in the EU.
The IPC Interconnect e-Commerce programme, which is aimed at establishing a fully interconnectednetwork for cross-border e-commerce deliveries, was formally agreed at the IPC board meeting inWashington on 15 November and should be fully operational as of end 2014.
Some 24 IPC members have so far signed up and an MoU has been signed with PostEurop to ensureinvolvement of EU postal operators that are not members of IPC.
The IPC e-commerce Interconnect Programme aims to offer consumers the same shopping and deliveryexperience when buying online domestically or cross-border.
Upon completion of the programme, all participating posts should be able to provide consumersand e-retailers with:
* A choice of end-to-end transit times and features available in all destinations
* A full track-and-trace platform from posting to delivery using barcodes or RFID andproviding full end-to-end visibility to consumers and e-retailers of sold and returned goods
* A cross-border e-Commerce return solution, enabling consumers to return an unwanted goodfree of charge to the country of delivery
* Consistent cross-border delivery options offering consumers the same delivery andcollection solutions for cross-border as for domestic e-Commerce
* Harmonised processes
* Service reliability
* A more rapid resolution of customers queries through connecting call centres from up to 180posts worldwide
“The IPC e-commerce Interconnect Programme is a unique undertaking by postal operators worldwideto create the best conditions for postal operators to meet demands from consumers and businessesand to fully benefit from the booming cross border e-commerce market,” said Herbert-Michael Zapf,President and CEO, IPC.
“The IPC e-commerce Interconnect Programme aims at removing the barriers which prevent consumersand businesses, in particular SMEs from selling and buying online cross-border, and at enhancingcross-border delivery. A greater integration of postal delivery networks will not only reinforceposts’ role in e-commerce but also contribute to further boosting cross-border e-commerce, hencecontributing to economic growth as a whole,” he added.
Domestic and international e-commerce is experiencing rapid growth throughout the world, andcross-border e-commerce is set to grow by 75% by 2020, according to IPC. However, surveys show thatbarriers remain for consumers and businesses to fully embrace cross-border e-commerce, such as thelack of visibility and reliability and the complexity of return and delivery solutions.
The IPC e-Commerce Interconnect Programme builds upon existing IPC initiatives currentlyinvolving a larger number of operators in Europe and beyond such as the IPC Easy Return Solution,the IPC Global Customer Services System which connects call centres through an IT-based queriesplatform and the 31-member E-Parcel Group (EPG), which provides a cross-border service for priorityparcels, including tracking and automated customer service.
The launch follows a series of top-level e-commerce events organised by IPC for members inrecent months. In October there was a symposium with the Stanford Global Supply Chain ManagementForum in Palo Alto, USA, with speakers from diverse e-commerce companies including AmazonFresh andGoogle Shopping Express.
