UK Parcels Distribution Survey
Programme 2014
UK Domestic B2B Parcels
UK Domestic B2C Parcels
UK Domestic Parcels Delivery Report
Parcels Benchmarking Research
Proposal
A Multi-Client Research Programme
UK Parcels Distribution Survey Programme 2014
Every year the contents of these surveys
reflect developments in the marketplace
and allow for confidential questions from
programme sponsors…. providing bespoke
research at multi-client prices.
BACKGROUND
For almost 30 years, Triangle’s UK Domestic Parcels Distribution Survey programme has been the industry standard benchmarking sur-vey for the UK express parcel industry.
Although keeping a consistent format and con-tent, the surveys change in line with develop-ments in the marketplace, and 2014 will see Wave 16 of the UK Domestic B2B Parcels Distri-bution Survey in its latest format and Wave 7 of the UK B2C Parcels Distribution Survey.
Sector alignment
Recognising that the market perceives increas-ing alignment of the business and residential delivery sectors, Triangle now produces a com-bined survey which consolidates the results of the B2B and B2C sector surveys, in order to rep-resent the UK domestic parcels delivery indus-try as a whole. The UK Domestic Parcels Deliv-ery Report will be Wave 4 in 2014.
For many senior executives in the express industry the studies set independent KPIs for internal management initiatives and provide invaluable competitor benchmark comparisons which can work alongside in-house research data, such as carriers’own customer satisfaction surveys, for example. Every year the contents of these surveys reflect developments in the marketplace and allow for confidential questions from programme sponsors. In effect, Triangle’s three major UK Domestic Parcels Distribu-tion Survey Reports provide bespoke re-search at multi-client prices.
STUDY SCOPE
Triangle has incorporated a number of re-finements and additional features to the surveys in recent years, which will continue in 2014. These include quotas on primary carrier used, a minimum of 50 parcels a month for respondent qualification, Carrier Loyalty ratings, Share of Wallet and the
METHODOLOGY
The surveys are based on minimum/maximum quota ranges for Primary Carrier usage (i.e. car-rier used most often), in order to guarantee ro-bust results for each of the main carriers. A rat-ing for the next most often used carrier (Secondary Carrier) is also captured, but no quota by carrier is set for them, i.e. these are random.
The core quota ranges for 2014, by carrier, re-flect overall usage patterns encountered through interviewing in recent years (the final total may vary slightly depending, for example, on sponsoring carrier quota boosts or market conditions).
The surveys are conducted via in depth tele-phone interviews held in accordance with the Market Research Society Code of Conduct. The core sample is selected from a large database of known users of parcel distribution services. Triangle’s interviewers are experienced market researchers who have been involved with these particular studies for many years, supported by CATI software. The fieldwork for both sector surveys is continuous, although the B2B inter-views are started first, in order to meet the publishing schedule.
Survey Sizes and Quotas by Carrier
Triangle expects the 2014 sample sizes to be as follows:
475 B2B Primary carrier users, with around 650 benchmark ratings when secondary carrier usage is included.
475 B2C Primary carrier users, with approximately 650 benchmark ratings when secondary carrier usage is included
The combined UK Domestic Parcel Delivery Report will, therefore, have around 950 primary respondents with approximately 1,300 benchmark ratings.
2014 Quota Range Targets and Estimated No. of Total Ratings
Carrier
B2B B2C COMBINED TOTAL
No. Ratings as primary
Carrier (Quota)
No. Ratings as Primary &
Secondary Carrier No. Ratings as primary Carrier (Quota)
Est. No. Rat-ings as Pri-mary & Sec-ondary Car-rier No. Ratings as primary Carrier (Quota)
Est. No. Rat-ings as Pri-mary & Sec-ondary
Car-rier APC Overnight 30-40 40-50 20-30 30-40 50-70 70-90
City Link 40-50 60-70 40-50 50-60 80-100 110-130
DHL Express 20-30 30-40 20-30 30-40
DPD 30-40 40-50 40-50 40-50 70-90 80-100
FedEx 40-50 50-60 30-40 40-50 70-90 90-110
Hermes 30-40 40-50 30-40 30-40
Interlink 30-40 40-50 20-30 30-40 50-60 70-80
Nightfreight 20-30 30-40 20-30 30-40 40-60 60-80
Parcelforce W’Wide 40-50 60-70 40-50 70-80 80-100 130-150
Royal Mail 40-50 80-90 40-50 80-90
TNT Express 40-50 80-90 20-30 30-40 60-80 110-130
Tuffnells 20-30 30-40 20-30 30-40
UK Mail 30-40 40-50 20-30 30-40 50-70 70-90
UPS 40-50 60-70 30-40 40-50 70-90 100-120
Yodel 30-40 40-50 40-50 60-70 70-90 100-120
B2C Specific Questions
The B2C questionnaire incorporates additional questions focussing on ordering methods, typical parcel contents and average parcel value. In 2014 Triangle will be introducing new questions around parcel returns levels and usage of alternative solutions for delivery and customer returns (i.e. parcel shops, parcel lockers, post offices and retail stores).
Confidential Questions
In addition, survey sponsors can add two confidential questions of their own to the questionnaire, which will be incorporated into the individual carrier’s confidential reporting pack.
Survey Contents
The core tracking elements included in the ques-tionnaires are maintained so as to ensure consis-tent trend data. The main conconsis-tent for each Sector Report is as follows:
Shipping profiles (average volumes, weights, products sent)
Carrier usage (most often used, others used in last 12 months/last 3 years, lapsed usage)
Carrier awareness (for carriers not used, sponta-neous and prompted)
Importance of carrier selection criteria
Pricing changes experienced and expected
Carrier Performance Ratings on Overall level of service plus five core attributes such as Price, Customer Service, On Time Delivery etc. (a)
Carrier Descriptors (Yes/No assessments) on 12 key statements (a)
Likelihood of recommending the primary carrier used (which provides a Customer Loyalty Bench-mark for the industry) (b)
‘Share of Wallet’ Total spend and percentage of total spend with main carrier
Service level usage
Website usefulness
Sales and marketing recall
(a) For the top two carriers (most often used and second most often used in volume terms) . (b) Based on the Net Promoter scoring approach.
REPORTING
Subscribers receive a reporting package comprising:
Executive Summary
Sample Base Description
Main Findings: Results and Analysis – with over 70 charts in each of the three separate reports
Trend Data, last 5 years for the B2B and B2C Surveys and 3 years for the combined market study (a)
Confidential Question Results
Carrier Service Profiles
Personalised Executive Presentation (optional)
UK Parcels Distribution Survey Programme 2014
In addition, individual company summaries can be produced and supported by personalised presentations where desired.
(a) Only customers that have subscribed to a study for more than one year are eligible for the Trend Data.
DELIVERY TIMETABLE
Target report publication dates are as follows:
The B2B survey report – May 2014
The B2C survey report – mid July 2014
The Combined report – end July 2014.
INVESTMENT
2014 prices remain the same as in 2012 (a):
UK Domestic B2B Parcels Distribution Survey Report Wave 16 (the B2B Sector Report) - £12,450
UK B2C Parcels Distribution Survey Report Wave 7 (the B2C Sector Report) - £12,450 UK Domestic Parcels Distribution Survey Report Wave 4 (the UK Parcels Report) - £24,900 if purchased on its own, £10,000 if purchased together with one sector report or £5,000 in conjunction with both sector reports.
Interview Boosts: Initial ‘boost’ (incl. in main report) at a ‘nominal’ cost of £600 (+VAT).
Additional boosts/supplemental reporting at a cost to be agreed depending on sample size and addi-tional reporting requirements.
THE TRIANGLE TEAM
Triangle’s specialist research team draws to-gether decades of industry experience from across the postal, express, distribution and e-commerce sectors.
Lead consultants include Robin Parr-Davies, Ex-press Director, Triangle Management Services; with an extensive express parcels industry back-ground gained at GeoPost UK and Philips.
TRIANGLE’S QUALIFICATIONS
Formed in the UK in 1984, Triangle has estab-lished itself as the pre-eminent specialist consul-tancy operating exclusively within the mail, ex-press and logistics sectors both within the UK and overseas.
Our prime objective is to provide customers with professional advice and business-oriented solu-tions.
Such services include:
Management consultancy
Market research
Conferences and exhibitions
Specialist publishing
Tailored recruitment solutions.
Triangle has been organising a number of dustry-leading events since 1987. These in-clude the World Mail & Express Conferences
(in Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Asia), and the Mail & Express Delivery Show in the UK.
Triangle initiated the annual World Mail Awards, which promote and recognise best practice in the global mail industry, as well as the PosTech conferences, which provide a high level forum for taking a strategic look at how technology can influence postal thinking to build value and drive growth.
Triangle publishes two leading industry publi-cations received by key industry executives worldwide: the quarterly Mail & Express Re-view and PostandParcel.info newsletter, which is an electronic newsletter reviewing the global mail and express industry news.
Express Sector Reports
UK Express Carriers Digest
UK Express Pallet Networks Digest
UK Express Salary Survey
European Express Networks Digest
Cross Border e-Commerce
About Triangle
Established over 30 years ago, Triangle is a unique provider of a range of business services to key executives running and shaping the global postal and logistics industry.
Our work is industry-led, using senior professionals with practical experience of express and postal sector issues.