PostNL has completed its strategic withdrawals from non-core business markets in Europe with thesale of a majority stake in an Italian mail management company. Its UK subsidiary is meanwhile
upbeat about direct marketing prospects.The Dutch postal operator has finalised an agreement to sell its 51% share in Telepost S.p.A. toone of the co-shareholders in the company, Manutencoop Facility Management. The sale price andrevenues of the company were not disclosed. Telepost S.p.A. provides a wide range of mailroomactivities and related value added office services to its customers in Italy.
The sale is part of the previously announced portfolio rationalisation of PostNL’s activitiesthroughout Europe which started in early 2010. “This transaction successfully finalises the focuson value realisation through partnerships or sale which have led to several transaction over thepast one and a half years,” the company commented. During this time PostNL has sold off variousmail businesses in Italy, Belgium, Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
PostNL said that apart from its home Dutch market it will in future concentrate on addressedmail activities in the large countries where it has obtained strong market positions: Germany, theUK and Italy.
Separately, its UK subsidiary TNT Post UK published survey results showing strong prospects forthe Direct Marketing (DM) industry in Britain over the next 12 months despite the economic gloom inthe country. The positive outlook reflects a resurgence of spending on DM by financial services andFMCG companies, with 76% of respondents expecting DM volumes to remain stable or grow in the nexttwelve months. Encouragingly, 69% of respondents believe that DM is the most important promotionalmedium that they use, followed by a website at 33% and e-mail at 20.4%. The survey of marketers andconsumers on the health of the Direct Mail industry was carried out on behalf of TNT Post UK byfast.MAP and while the company also surveyed its customers.
Lieneke Happel, Director of Marketing and Strategy at TNT Post UK, said: “We are pleased thatdirect mail continues to be seen as the most effective promotional tool used by marketers and thatit is holding its own in a very competitive landscape.” TNT Post UK delivers about 2.4 billionitems a year.
PostNL processes 8.8 billion addressed postal items, including some 100 million parcels, a yearand delivers to more than 88 million addresses in the Benelux, Germany, the UK and Italy. In 2010the company, which employs some 77,000 people, generated turnover of nearly €4.3 billion euros.
