Postal Hub podcast

Dog attacks are a daily risk for delivery drivers. Royal Mail's delivery drivers report about seven dog attacks a day across the UK. Now Royal Mail is trying to reduce the number of dog attacks through an annual public awareness campaign called "Dog awareness week". This sits alongside existing driver training.

We discuss crowd-sourced delivery, including bpost's new crowd-sourced delivery app, bringr, Amazon Flex and Uber RUSH. We also discuss post office access, including open hours, 24-hour post offices, Sunday opening, self-service terminals, and much more.

Grocery delivery to the door is nice, but how about delivery straight to your fridge? In this episode, Cathy Morrow Roberson from Logistics Trends and Insights joins me to talk about online grocery shopping and delivering those groceries to customers.

OSCAR, the UPU's new carbon reporting programme, has just been released. Anne-Claire Blet, the UPU's Expert for Environment and Sustainable Development, joins me to explain the project. Later in the podcast, Cathy Morrow Roberson from Logistics Trends and Insights discusses carbon neutral delivery.

As letter volumes fall and parcel volumes grow, what opportunities are there to combine letter and parcel delivery? In this episode, I briefly outline some of the key considerations for combining letter and parcel delivery. I also talk with Tim Ellison, the Deputy Director of the Postal Museum. The new museum is scheduled to open in London in 2017.

The US Postal Service recently released a report into how direct mail can be used to target millennial voters. Joining me to discuss this in depth is Brian G Denneny, the US Postal Service’s Executive Director of Sales. Are millennials interested in mail? How does direct mail compare with other forms of political advertising? Cathy Morrow Roberson from Logistics Trends and Insights joins me to pore over the recently announced joint venture between Australia Post and Aramex.

The European Commission has announced a package of measures that it hopes will make it easier for consumers and companies to buy and sell products and services online across the EU. Postal and regulatory expert Joost Vantomme joins me to give a detailed breakdown of what the proposals will mean for the delivery sector. Cathy Morrow Roberson also joins me to discuss how 3D printing is disrupting the supply chain.

Australia Post has set up an online marketplace called Farmhouse Direct, which allows primary producers to sell directly to the public. We go behind the scenes with Australia Post's Viven Astle. Cathy Morrow Roberson from Logistics Trends & Insights discusses DHL's timed deliveries and UPS My Choice.

Money orders are dying, right? Maybe not. Research in the USA shows the money order has a future online and can play its part in e-commerce. In episode 15, Bryant Switzky from the USPS OIG joins me for an in-depth discussion of the future of money orders, and how some post offices are boosting money order sales. Cathy Morrow Roberson also joins me to talk about Amazon's fulfilment centres.

How can postal operators and major parcel operators respond to disruption in the delivery sector? Josh Rowe, CEO of RealAs, joins me for an in-depth discussion of the nature of innovation, in particular how it applies to the delivery sector.