UK online retailers to start Christmas early: survey shows advance in promotions to boost international sales

It has been reported that UK SME online retailers have begun their Christmas promotions this week - a week earlier than last year research from Royal Mail has revealed.

From the 300 SMEs that were studied, 57% surveyed said it planned to use price promotion to secure sales this Christmas. Free delivery and free returns are other promotions tactics companies are set to use.

64% of businesses are expecting its international orders to increase this year. Last year's run up to Christmas saw 51% of retailers expecting international sales growth. This year USA is anticipated to act as the largest international market, with France at close second place.

Royal Mail's Director of Royal Mail Parcels, Nick Landon, has said: "Royal Mail's study of UK SME online retailers shows competition for customers will start earlier this year, with price promotions the key tactic for online retailers as well as offering free delivery and returns to their shoppers."

Landon added: "Royal Mail has also been preparing for the busy festive period and is opening a dedicated network of parcel sort centres to handle the additional volume we experience every Christmas."

TNT appoint new CFO

TNT Express has revealed its new Chief Finance Officer. It was announced recently that Maarten Jan de Vries, 52, is to take over the role as CFO for the company. This news comes as a result of previous CFO, Bernard Bot, having stepped down from his role within the past month.

Jan de Vries has previous experience in various positions working at Royal Philips; the newly appointed CFO started work for this company in 1986 as controller of Dutch Sales. More recent roles at Royal Philips for Jan de Vries have included Chief Information Officer, Chief Supply Officer and Divisional CFO. Additionally to this, he was also a member of the Philips management committee between 2007 and 2011.

The new role for Jan de Vries will see him taking control in regards to financial management. His duties will include overseeing the development and expansion of the company in the bid to improve upon its financial performance. Last year saw parcel delivery rivals UPS nearly out run TNT Express in this area.

Jan de Vries will focus the company's attention on its "Outlook" strategy. This particular strategy aims to focus on the company's strengths, such as its European ground services and services for SMEs in particular. The strategy will be driven with an aim to improve on customer service, and in turn product 240 million Euros in performance growth by 2015.

TNT Express' CEO, Tex Gunning, has commented: "I am really happy that we are able to attract yet again such a high calibre executive for the TNT Express management team. Marrten has relevant functional and international experience and will be a great asset to TNT. His capabilities will be essential in the implementation of the "Outlook" strategy."

Sending a Parcel to New Zealand | Exporting Advice for SMEs

There are many reasons why UK residents may want to send a parcel to New Zealand. Since it is estimated that 70% of the Kiwi population has family links in the UK, it is not surprising that many British people send parcels to the Pacific nation for personal reasons. But as well as sending gifts to friends and loved ones, UK SMEs could also benefit from shipping to New Zealand for commercial purposes.

Due to historical links, cultural similarities, a shared language and comparable finance and legal systems, it can be relatively easy for British firms to grow through exporting to New Zealand. In addition to this though, New Zealand is an attractive market in its own right. If you haven't considered New Zealand as part of your export strategy, maybe the following information will make you think twice:

1. Demand for British Goods

Trade between the UK and New Zealand is strong: Britain counts itself among New Zealand's top five trade partners, and demand for British goods is high. Clothing, gift-ware and food and drink from the UK is especially popular in New Zealand.

2. New Zealand's Economy

New Zealand is a relatively small market, making it an ideal target for SMEs that are new to exporting. It's also closer to, and has important trade agreements with, many other important markets in the South Pacific and East Asia, including Australia, China and Japan.  If your export strategy is successful, New Zealand is a great location from which to develop it further.

3. What about the distance?

With over 11,000 miles as the crow flies between London and Wellington, it's understandably a daunting prospect for many SMEs to consider shipping to New Zealand. Fortunately, parcel delivery resellers such as Transglobal Express provide a valuable service to UK business, allowing them to book shipping services from major international carriers at a fraction of the price. Exporting to New Zealand can therefore be much cheaper than you expect. You can get a quick quote and compare prices via our website.

4. For More Information

The website of UK Trade & Investment provides lots of  invaluable information about exporting to, and doing business in, New Zealand. You can access a variety of reports and even arrange to speak to an export expert for your chosen market.

5. And finally...

New Zealand is a nice place!  It was recently deemed the least corrupt country in which to do business and (OK, so it's not directly related to export but...) the Maori name for New Zealand is often translated as "land of abiding day" - who wouldn't want to export there?

"Exporting is GREAT" campaign kicks of UK Export Week

Are you thinking of growing your business by exporting abroad? This week is Export Week in the UK, and there are lots of opportunities for SMEs to learn more about exporting and access support. Marking the beginning of the seven day campaign, UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) launched "Exporting is GREAT" on Monday, an initiative forming part of the larger "Business is GREAT" campaign that will promote the benefits and possibilities of international export to over 700,000 firms across the country. Its main aim is to promote the support currently available to SMEs.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said of the campaign: “British small and medium sized businesses are the lifeblood of our economy. Many are doing incredible things and selling their services and products abroad. But too many do not realise their global potential." The campaign is intended to help SMEs tap into this potential with a variety of tools. On the campaign website, SMEs can arrange to speak to an export advisor, read inspirational testimonials from successful export ventures and sign up for regular export-related newsletters. The campaign is expected to generate 3,000 appointments between UKTI and aspiring exporters and to drive £1.2 billion in additional export revenue.

Speaking at the launch of "Exporting is GREAT", Trade and Investment Minister Lord Green said “The UK’s future prosperity will not come from relying on domestic markets alone. Businesses excel with UKTI’s support and we want to make sure that UK firms are not just trading abroad but thriving there and competing with the best the rest of the world has to offer.”