Category Archives: Transportation & Logistics

Companies should resolve to target overseas markets in 2012, says Parcel2Go

Businesses looking to grow in 2012 and get the year off on the right foot should make sure they consider exporting their goods, according to the UK’s largest online parcel delivery service.

Parcel2Go helps individuals and businesses to ship more than two million packages to destinations here in the UK and overseas every year. With many finance analysts predicting tough times ahead for the UK economy, the company is calling on British businesses to make sure they exploit every possible opportunity, including breaking into foreign markets.

Richard Mercer, marketing director at Parcel2Go, said: “Exporting can seem like a daunting task, but thanks to the internet and the help available from various agencies, building an international client base is nowhere near as hard as it used to be.

“We want British firms to prosper next year, which is why we are appealing to them to make a new year resolution to, at the very least, investigate the possibility of selling their goods abroad. Parcel2Go has years of experience helping to send consignments to business customers around the world, and with our support the international parcel delivery process becomes a whole lot easier.”

Using online auction and retail website eBay is one way many small businesses are managing to break into overseas markets. Earlier this year the company announced that two online SMEs were projected to post turnovers in excess of £1m through exports alone this year. The major markets for UK eBayers include the United States, Germany, Ireland, Australia and France, and any businesses which fail to allow consumers in these countries to purchase their goods are potentially narrowing their opportunities severely.

“Our message to SMEs concerned about making a move into exporting is to be bold and take the initiative to find out what is involved,” added Richard. “Thanks to parcel courier firms it might involve considerably less hard work than you imagine.”

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Parcel2Go Issues Last Christmas Post Dates Reminder

Anyone planning to send Christmas packages in time for December 25 has just a matter of days left if they want to ensure their parcels arrive on time, Parcel2Go has said.

The online parcel delivery specialist is reminding private individuals and businesses that they must act soon if they still have consignments waiting to be sent.

Richard Mercer, marketing director at Parcel2Go, said: “Most of Parcel2Go’s final Christmas posting dates for international destinations, Europe and the UK have now passed, but there are still a few courier companies accepting deliveries. Our advice for anyone hoping to get presents or business consignments to people before Christmas is to act now.”

Customers with deliveries heading for Europe have until Tuesday, December 20 to get their package off with the Parcel2Go Express Saver or DHL EU Express services. When it comes to UK deliveries, then people can book a TNT UK Express service service through Parcel2Go until Tuesday, December 20.

Once this year’s festivities are out of the way, it will be back to work for many people across Britain, including Parcel2Go and the majority of UK’s leading courier services. Deliveries and collections will be made as usual on Wednesday December 28, Thursday December 29 and Friday December 30.

Richard added: “Once the festivities are over for another year, Parcel2Go and its courier partners are fully aware that many individuals and businesses will have important packages to send in the three days between Christmas and New Year.

“We want to remind customers that they can rely on the UK’s largest online parcel delivery service and renowned domestic and international shipping companies such as FedEx, Parcelforce and City Link to get their parcel deliveries to destinations on time and in perfect condition, as they do during the rest of the year.”

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Parcel2Go Stresses Importance Of Reliable Parcel Delivery To eBay Sellers

An estimated 5.8 million Christmas shoppers visited the retail and auction website eBay last Sunday and with many millions more due to visit over the coming days, online parcel delivery specialist Parcel2Go has called on sellers to be prepared for the Christmas rush.

Data released earlier this month claimed the average Brit will spend just over £250 on gifts this year and Richard Mercer, marketing director at Parcel2Go, said online sellers should be doing everything possible to appeal to shoppers.

He said offering a wide range of delivery options from courier services is one way for eBay sellers to ensure that they are making their auctions and fixed-price sale items available to as many people as possible.

He said: “Sellers offering limited domestic and international parcel delivery options are restricting themselves unnecessarily. All the retail figures being released at the moment point to significant opportunities this year for online businesses, with shoppers looking to enjoy the festive season before they think about tightening their belts further after Christmas.

“Parcel2Go’s eBay widget has been designed to make it quick and easy to add parcel delivery information to product listings and the wide range of services available will certainly appeal to potential customers.”

The important role that smartphones will play in online buying this Christmas has also been stressed. eBay expected about two items to be purchased every second during Super Sunday, once again highlighting the ever increasing use of mobiles by shoppers in the UK.

“The remaining shopping days before Christmas represent a fantastic opportunity for sellers,” Richard added. “We’re reminding them to act now, get their parcel delivery options up to scratch and make sure their customers receive the best service possible.”

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Carrentals.co.uk 12 Days of Christmas Prize Draw Serves Up Top Prizes and Charity Support

Car hire price comparison website Carrentals.co.uk has introduced a new scheme offering great prizes for the festive season – the 12 Days of Christmas. The competition takes the format of a daily prize draw which offers a great prize every day from its launch until Christmas itself.

Prizes on show in the new Carrentals.c.uk competition include an iPad 2, Amazon vouchers, London Eye tickets, a vineyard tour and tasting and other great rewards. The competition begins on December 12th with the draw for the iPad 2 to be held on Christmas Eve.

Carrentals.co.uk has teamed up with UK homeless charity StreetSmart to raise money through the 12 Days of Christmas competition. StreetSmart is one of the most established UK homeless charities and works with more than 90 smaller UK homeless charities in 19 cities. The organisation has raised more than £4.7million for smaller charities and enables them to deliver essential education and training programs, housing support and help to provide information and advice on health issues.

In order to enter the daily 12 Days of Christmas draw users need to find the hidden snowman on the Carrrentals.co.uk website using each day’s particular clue. The URL where the snowman is found is the code for entering the competition.

Gareth Robinson, Managing Director of Carrentals.co.uk, commented: “We are really pleased to be able to introduce our new 12 Days of Christmas prize draw for this year’s festive period. Helping people to win great prizes while also working with StreetSmart to help out UK homeless charities gives us a real warm glow at this time of year.”

For full details on the Carrentals.co.uk ‘12 days of Christmas’ competition and all terms and conditions visit http://www.carrentals.co.uk/media/12-days-of-christmas.html. For further information on StreetSmart visit www.streetsmart.org.uk.

Carrentals.co.uk is the UK’s leading car rental comparison site, comparing deals from up to 50 rental companies including Alamo, Auto Europe, Budget, Holiday Autos and Sixt, in over 15,000 locations worldwide including car hire in Italy, Spain, UK and car hire in Cyprus.

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‘Road Sense’ Motoring Safety Campaign Introduced by Carrentals.co.uk and Brake

Carrentals.co.uk, the leading car hire comparison website which helps people book cheap hire from up to 50 top providers, announces its sixth ever ‘Road Sense’ campaign. The campaign, in partnership with road safety charity Brake, seeks to raise awareness of motoring safety issues among drivers of all ages.

The annual Road Sense campaign focuses on a key element of motoring, with this year seeing the initiative being consistent checks on tyres, brakes and engine as the winter weather sets in. Carrentals.co.uk and Brake are calling on motorists to get these vital checks carried out no matter what the impact on their household budget.

Gareth Robinson, Managing Director of Carrentals.co.uk, comments: “We are calling on drivers around the UK to be aware of the need for getting brakes and tyres checked regularly, particularly as the UK’s roads turn icier. This is the way to reduce the number of avoidable accidents on Britain’s motorways and roads throughout the winter.”

Brake is the UK’s leading road safety charity and has said recently that more UK youngsters die in car crashes today than die by any other means. Many accidents are caused by driving too fast and reckless overtaking, with one out of every four fatal accidents on UK roads involving someone aged below the age of 25.

“We are proud to work with organisations like Brake on our Road Sense campaigns,” Gareth continued. “Motorists would be wise to pay attention to the words of Brake since they really know their subject. We all need to pull together to improve the situation and lower the amount of serious accidents.”

Katie Shephard, director at Brake, says: “We enjoy working with companies like Carrentals.co.uk who seek to push the road safety agenda through initiatives Road Sense. Throughout this year’s Road Safety Week we at Brake want young people to become increasingly aware of the importance of driving sensibly and to ‘have a heart at the wheel’.”

The Carrentals.co.uk Road Sense site offers road safety advice as well as new offers, including discounts on winter clothing and reflective gear for children and adults from Outdoor Look and BrightKidz.

Carrentals.co.uk is the leading car hire comparison site comparing prices in over 15,000 locations worldwide including France, Spain and car hire in Ireland, with pick up locations including car hire in Dublin, Cork and Shannon.

For more road safety information, offers and advice visit carrentals.co.uk/roadsense2011

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Parcel2Go Backs Ebay’s Call For Government To Bring Forward Fast Internet Roll-Out

A call by auction and retail website eBay for the government to increase mobile internet speeds and support Britain’s online marketplace has been echoed by the UK’s largest online parcel delivery service, Parcel2Go.

The e-commerce giant stepped up pressure on the government this month to act and bring Britain in line with other countries in terms of mobile internet speeds. Through its Mobile Manifesto, which eBay passed to ministers at the start of November, the firm has voiced its concern that the UK could get left behind when it comes to mobile infrastructure.

Speaking to the BBC this week, eBay UK’s retail director Angus McCarey said while Britain is currently leading the way in Europe when it comes to smartphone ownership, it is falling behind in terms of next generation technology.

Parcel2Go has also stressed the importance for individuals and British businesses of installing an effective 4G mobile network as soon as possible. Tests are already underway in Cornwall and London, but it looks like the service won’t be widely available until at least 2013.

Richard Mercer, marketing director at Parcel2Go, said: “The UK has been a leader so far in the world of online shopping and as a country we cannot risk losing momentum by taking a back seat when it comes to adopting 4G technology. The economy is in a fragile state and investment in faster mobile internet is exactly the type of strategy that will help to give the retail sector a shot in the arm.

“At Parcel2Go we unveiled our mobile website earlier this year to make it easier for customers to access domestic and international shipping services on the move. Businesses have their part to play in making their content and transactional pages accessible through mobile sites and apps, but the government needs to encourage investment by doing everything possible to bring forward 4G.”

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UK Tourists Booking Car Hire Earlier This Christmas Says eRentals.co.uk

Online car hire specialist eRentals.co.uk has reported that Brits are booking Christmas car hire earlier than ever this year. The website, which helps travellers source car hire in over 12,000 locations around the world, this week reports that advance booking for Christmas is up by 38% with around six weeks still to go.

Historically, travellers have tended to see car rental as an optional extra and something which can be left until the last minute says eRentals.co.uk. This year however, the website is seeing many more tourists plan ahead and book car hire well before travelling.

eRentals.co.uk also reports that this year’s most popular Christmas car hire collection points throughout Europe are Geneva, Heathrow Airport, Lisbon, Faro and Manchester Airport. Many Brits head away overseas during the festive season to spend Christmas with relatives.

Briony Fairbairn, spokesperson for eRentals.co.uk, says: “Traditionally Brits have a habit of waiting until they arrive somewhere before finding car hire, or at best booking a few days before they travel. This year seems to have seen a change in behaviour.”

“At Christmas each year car hire providers see increased demand for family vehicles like 4x4s and people carriers, so booking ahead is essential. The same applies to added extras like child seats, waiting until arrival in a resort before asking about them can result in disappointment. So this year’s rise in people booking ahead is a refreshing change and these people will have a more enjoyable car hire experience.”

eRentals.co.uk is a specialist car hire company, providing low cost car rental in over 12,000 locations around the World. Committed to finding its customers the best prices, eRentals.co.uk offers a quick and easy search of the latest offers, including Majorca car hire and Lanzarote car hire, for a festive escape in the sun.

For more information visit www.erentals.co.uk.

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UK Drivers Risking Road Safety by Cost-Cutting Says Latest Carrentals.co.uk Research

Carrentals.co.uk, the car hire comparator which helps people save on rentals in over 15,000 destinations around the world, has announced the results of a new road safety poll. The website surveyed more than 2,300 UK drivers and discovered that 1 in 3 choose not to have their vehicle serviced due to expense and 1 in 5 have not had bald or worn tyres replaced ahead of winter.

The poll also showed that 1 in 10 motorists have changed from comprehensive to third-party car insurance to save money while pre-winter car servicing and checks are also being neglected; 60% of people have saved money on not getting tyres checked while 80% haven’t had their brakes checked either.

Changing brake pads regularly is usually considered a car maintenance essential, but 10% of respondents told Carrentals.co.uk that they have not done so recently to save money.

Gareth Robinson, managing director of Carrentals.co.uk, says: “The results of our latest survey were somewhat concerning, as road safety is simply so important particularly in winter. We understand that people need to make cutbacks wherever possible but we don’t advise skimping on vehicle maintenance.”

“British winters are typically hazardous on the roads and ice causes many accidents every year. With that in mind we want people to consider where else they can make savings rather than neglecting their car’s safety, something which puts themselves and others at risk.”

The Carrentals.co.uk poll also found that almost 1 in 3 people have traded their car in for a cheaper to maintain model in recent times, while more than 56% now visit an independent garage for car servicing in place of more costly authorised places.

Traditional car rescue cover has also suffered as a result of the financial crisis according to the new Carrentals.co.uk survey. 1 in 10 people have cancelled car rescue contracts and 3% of people confessed to driving without insurance due to the costs of policies these days.

“People clearly need to make cutbacks wherever possible these days, and we understand that entirely, Gareth went on. “However that is not to say that we condone neglecting road safety. Car maintenance is essential, especially with icy weather on the way, so we urge people to look for other ways to save money this winter.”

The award winning Carrentals.co.uk is the leading car hire comparison site comparing the best deals from up to 50 rental companies, including Alamo, Auto Europe, Budget, Holiday Autos and Sixt. Travellers can rent a car in over 15,000 locations around the world, including car hire in Tenerife, and car hire in Lanzarote for a winter sun escape.

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Christmas Shoppers Should Go Online To Find Black Friday Deals, Says Parcel2Go

Britain’s leading online parcel delivery specialist Parcel2Go has reminded shoppers looking for great deals on their Christmas presents this year to remember to capitalise on Black Friday on November 25.

The annual event, which marks the start of the Christmas shopping rush in America, is designed to inspire US consumers and get the tills ringing at the start of the festive season. But thanks to the internet, next week’s shopping bonanza won’t be restricted to people living in the United States.

Amazon UK is one retailer that is joining in to bring British shoppers deals on a range of goods from books and music to fashion and beauty products, and Parcel2Go has reminded people not to miss out. Amazon will be offering timed deals between Monday, November 21 and Black Friday on the 25th.

Richard Mercer, marketing director at Parcel2Go, said: “Black Friday might have begun as a US tradition but deal-conscious shoppers from the UK now have the chance to beat the Christmas rush and grab themselves a few bargains.

“Online shopping has completely revolutionised the way people buy presents at Christmas and as long as people make sure that their gifts are being shipped with leading couriers then buying online is a great way to avoid the queues at the tills. There are sure to be plenty of Black Friday deals to be had next week and by choosing to send presents to friends and relatives using Parcel2Go, shoppers will be able to save even more money.”

Anyone thinking of ordering goods from American businesses on Black Friday might find that some retailers will only ship to US addresses. Parcel2Go offers customers the opportunity to rent an American address and have goods forwarded to Europe with professional couriers such as DHL and FedEx, so buying direct from the US is no problem at all.

Richard added: “The US address rental service has become incredibly popular and we’d expect to see an increase in demand from European consumers as Black Friday draws closer.”

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