City Link green and yellow doors close on Christmas Eve
The pre Christmas boom of online retail shopping for home delivery was of the scale of all expectation, then Christmas Eve shock news hit the industry as Coventry based, green and yellow van fleet City Link stopped taking parcels. Sky news amongst the first to report, ‘City Link called in the professional services firm EY on Christmas Eve and immediately ceased accepting parcels from customers. ‘More than 2,700 City Link jobs are at risk over the festive period.’
City Sprint boss, Patrick Gallagher comments, 'How dreadful for the staff and drivers ref timing. We are getting calls and will do all we can.’
IOC have added support, saving the skills and asking former City Link team looking for work to post their details, the details will then be posted on to nationals recruiting.
Hunter Kelly, Tom Lukic and Charles King of EY's Restructuring team were appointed joint administrators on Christmas eve. Kelly said: "City Link Limited has incurred substantial losses over several years. These losses reflect a combination of intense competition in the sector, changing customer and parcel recipient preferences, and difficulties for the company in reducing its cost base.
"The strain of these losses became too great and all but used up Better Capital's £40m investment, which was made in 2013 and intended to help to turn around the company. Despite the best efforts to save City Link Limited, including marketing the company for sale, it could not continue to operate as a going concern and administrators were appointed.”
With talks over the Christmas period, 371 people have been kept on at CL to deal with the parcels that remain within the company’s network, and to assist in winding down its operations. It is reported the depots will remain open for a few days to allow customers and intended recipients to collect their parcels.
Customer perception that delivery of retail is free remains one of the biggest hurdles in perception for the courier who is working to tighter deadlines in a demanding market with package numbers at their highest levels ever. Retail shift to home deliver has out-paced all expectations in 2014. Black Friday sales discounts all over the web. ‘600,000 cyber Monday orders will require re-delivery.’ (SHD Magazine, Dec 2014). ‘Londoners spend 150million in Manic online frenzy.’ Says Jonathan Prynn (London Evening Standard, 8th Dec 2014), Cyber Monday could be the biggest day of 2014 e-retail logistics, Kirsty Adams ‘Although click and collect is on the rise, around 600,000 Christmas presents ordered for home delivery on Cyber Monday will need to be redelivered. 30 million unwanted presents will be returned over Christmas, with the majority on Boomerang Thursday. Is Jan 1st set to be the busiest 2015 logistics day of 2014. (LCP consulting Nov 2014).
What are the implications and sustainability of the home delivery for retail goods purchased online? City Link exit will leave ever more gap between customer demand and industry delivery.
Minister launches Trailblazer Courier Apprenticeship at D2N2 event
Minister for roads and transport Claire Perry MP was in Derby for the LEP D2N2 vision that transport and logistics is a priority sector.
Minister Claire Perry with Univ of Derby deputy Vice Chancellor Rod Dubrow-Marshal and Carl Lomas MBE, chairman of the Institute of Couriers stood with the two wheel transport of a classic courier motorbike to launch the trailblazer apprenticeship for courier.
The new courier trailblazer built by employers across the UK is likely to be ready for delivery early 2015 bringing job focus to a sector in need of riders and drivers from light van to heavy truck. A strong employer group chaired by Citysprint director Justin Moore have developed the qualification, next step is an assessment framework before delivery begins next year, driving skills, licence acquisition, customer support and road compliance are all key the new qualification that will be rich in focus for the growing home delivery market of the logistics and transport sector. A new web site www.couriertrailblazer.com holds the first details.
e-retail logistics names the days - Black Friday – Cyber Monday – Boomerang Thursday.
Retail shift to home deliver out paces all expectations. Black Friday sales discounts all over the web. ‘600,000 cyber Monday orders will require re-delivery.’ SHD Magazine. ‘Londoners spend 150million in Manic online frenzy.’ Says Jonathan Prynn London Evening Standard, Cyber Monday could be the biggest day of 2014 e-retail logistics, Kirsty Adams report on the LCP consulting work, ‘Although click and collect is on the rise, around 600,000 Christmas presents ordered for home delivery on Cyber Monday will need to be redelivered. LCP consulting say 30 million unwanted presents will be returned over Christmas, with the majority on Boomerang Thursday. Is Jan 1st set to be the busiest 2015 logistics day of 2014.
NEC Bike Show – Motorcycles for Buisiness, Fast Kawasakis and Tracey Worth with Steve Parish.
Busiest bike show in many a year, three halls of the NEC and even busy crowds for mid week, helmet and clothing bargains galore. Arias from two hundred and fifty quid on the base lids. Extensive choice in armoured jackets from fifty pounds upto two hundred for bargain branded Ruka style kit and many more. All the manufacturers, Triumphn, Norton and Gas Gas amongst the Blighty folk between the big factories of Yamaha and Suzuki, Kawasaki stand swamped with on lookers at the new H2 race monster in shiny black. Honda was all things working bike. Wow a real life Honda courier bike in E Courier colours sat on its very own display with ‘Working Bike’ displays. Hand-outs ‘Motorcycle for Buisiness’ productivity and lowering costs in the pamphlet. Full report in the members' area.
