Australia Post has announced that it will launch its first first digital stamp alongside this year’s lunar new year stamp collection marking the Year of the Horse.

The traditional stamp series, designed by Sydney-based artist Chrissy Lau, is available at participating post offices and online. Australia Post said it will also release its first “DigiStamp” next month, combining a physical stamp with a digital collectible.

The digital version pairs a standard postage stamp with a secure digital token that can be activated by scanning a QR code on the stamp card.

Continue reading Australia Post launches first digital stamp at Parcel and Postal Technology International.

DPD has become the first UK parcel delivery company to deploy Ottonomy’s multi-compartment, fully autonomous ‘Locker’ robot, Ottobot. Larger than DPD’s existing autonomous delivery robots, Ottobot has a maximum payload of 70kg, eight separate compartments that can carry parcels of varying sizes, and can also facilitate collections. Does the concept have potential? If so, where could these robots be deployed in the future? Marek Rozycki and Gary Winter discuss.

Continue reading ANALYSIS: Could autonomous parcel lockers on wheels have a role to play in the last mile? at Parcel and Postal Technology International.

QazPost has announced its consolidated FY 2023 results, revealing a 38% year-on-year revenue increase to KZT 86bn (US$192m) and a net profit of KZT 2.4bn (US$5.5m).

Postal services showed a 9% increase in revenue despite the falling demand for traditional postal services worldwide.

Financial services, a previously underdeveloped line of business, has contributed immensely to the overall results. QazPost has attracted several new clients to fully utilize its unique position as a one-stop financial services facility, providing a wide range of services through its 2,700 branches throughout Kazakhstan.

Continue reading QazPost is profitable for first time in three years at Parcel and Postal Technology International.

The parcel and logistics division of Austrian Post saw an impressive year-on-year 16.6% revenue increase in 2023 to €1.41bn (US$1.54bn), despite challenging economic conditions and changing consumer behavior.

The retail and bank division also generated strong revenue growth of 37.6 % to €168.6m (US$183.7m) on the back of an improved interest rate environment for banks. However, the mail division reported a 2.3% fall in revenue to €1.19bn (US$1.3bn) compared to 2022 thanks to a further decline in the conventional letter mail business as well as volume decreases in direct mail.

Continue reading Strong parcel growth for Austrian Post in 2023 at Parcel and Postal Technology International.

Express courier company BRT has opened a new facility in Cessalto, Italy, that features a 4,500m2  warehouse capable of handling 4,000 shipments per day.

The Cessalto facility is located in one of Italy’s most intensive industrial and manufacturing areas, serving the territories of the Treviso, Belluno and Venice provinces and towns on the Venetian and Friulian coast.

The new facility will increase BRT’s business opportunities in the area and improve the efficiency of its entire network in the northeast of Italy.

Continue reading BRT opens new facility in northeast Italy at Parcel and Postal Technology International.

Viettel Post (VTPost) has become the first Vietnamese logistics company to adopt fully automated robot-based parcel sortation technology with the installation of 160 LiBiao ‘Mini Yellow’ autonomous guided robots at its storage and distribution hub in Hanoi.

The new sorting system provides VTPost with the capacity to process around 6,000 parcels of various sizes, weights and shapes every hour at the multi-client site.

By automating its sorting system with the robots, VTPost has more than doubled its order throughput speed and brought the error rate down to almost zero.

Continue reading VTPost launches robot-based parcel sorting in Vietnam at Parcel and Postal Technology International.

UK-based two-person delivery specialist ArrowXL has invested £5m (US$6.3m) in replacing its existing 50-strong fleet with 75 new 7.5-ton customized DAF LF trucks.

The new vehicles have an increased payload, helping to reduce overall CO2 emissions with fewer journeys made. The PACCAR engines provide higher outputs and greater torque, while reducing fuel consumption. They also feature selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology to meet the Euro 4 and Euro 5 emission standards.

Louise White, national fleet compliance and admin manager at ArrowXL, commented, “The new DAF LF trucks were chosen specifically for their size and fuel efficiency to provide the company with much needed additional capacity to cope with our growing client demand.

Continue reading ArrowXL renews and expands delivery fleet at Parcel and Postal Technology International.

Returns remain one of the retail industry’s biggest headaches, with online returns costing US retailers US$212bn in lost sales in 2022 (NRF/Appriss Retail). Yet for posts and carriers they potentially offer one of the sector’s biggest opportunities for new business – if they can offer the services that retailers and consumers need at a price that suits everyone. Returns have increased by an average of 19% in the last two years, which means the scale of the problem is increasing.

Continue reading EXCLUSIVE FEATURE: Have we begun to see a fundamental and more sustainable shift in the returns landscape? at Parcel and Postal Technology International.

Cloud-based e-commerce shipping solution ShipStation has partnered with marketplace integration platform ChannelEngine to support international growth and help merchants sell more on e-commerce platforms.

The partnership sees ShipStation’s shipping platform integrate directly with ChannelEngine’s marketplace solution, and is now live in the UK, France, Germany, Australia and North America.

Through this collaboration, ShipStation merchants will have access to ChannelEngine’s network of 700+ marketplaces and digital sales channels around the world, providing them with the opportunity to reach new customers and markets.

Continue reading ShipStation and ChannelEngine partner to enhance shipping and e-commerce at Parcel and Postal Technology International.

Opticon is showing the H-35, the newest mobile computer with Android 11, at this year’s Parcel+Post Expo.

Some key features include the Opticon 2D imager barcode scanner, Bluetooth 5.1 and NFC. The 4G, wi-fi and Google mobile service-supported H-35 comes with a high battery life for workers on the go. Built to withstand the toughest work environments with its rugged design and IP65 rating, the Opticon H-35 also has a two-year warranty.

The H-35 can be used in a wide variety of markets such as logistics, postal, services, industrial and transportation.

Continue reading EXPO NEWS | DAY 2: Opticon Sensors shows its newest mobile computer at Parcel and Postal Technology International.