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Reinventing the Postal Sector in an Electronic Age
This compilation of original essays by an international cast of economists, regulators and industry practitioners analyzes some of the major issues now facing postal and delivery services throughout the world as competition from information and communication technologies has increased.
More Information
Contributors
Contents
More Information
This compilation of original essays by an international cast of economists, regulators and industry practitioners analyzes some of the major issues now facing postal and delivery services throughout the world as competition from information and communication technologies (ICT) has increased.
Competition has become increasingly important in the postal sector for some time in the form of alternative entrants providing mail delivery. However, the competition from ICT in the form of email and instant messaging, the Internet, Facebook and other forms of social networking and portable wireless devices such as the iPad and Kindle may be even more significant. Mail volumes are falling and the economies of scale that have made possible daily deliveries to every address are being eroded. This book assesses volume these declines resulting from this so-called ‘eSubstituion’ and looks at the ways the postal sector can adapt to the rapid changes resulting from ICT. The impact of electronic invoicing on transactions mail, and the impact on bulk mail of electronic forms of advertising are examined. Strategies, including pricing and access policies, are discussed in the context of the increasing impact of ICT. A rethinking of the role of mail in an electronic age is taking place and this book provides the cutting-edge of this rethinking and the attempts of POs to reinvent themselves while continuing to meet the public’s expectation of continuing ubiquitous daily deliveries of traditional mail products.
Undergraduate and postgraduate students and researchers in regulation, competition law, innovation and public sector economics along with institutional libraries and industry professionals will find this volume informative and useful.
Competition has become increasingly important in the postal sector for some time in the form of alternative entrants providing mail delivery. However, the competition from ICT in the form of email and instant messaging, the Internet, Facebook and other forms of social networking and portable wireless devices such as the iPad and Kindle may be even more significant. Mail volumes are falling and the economies of scale that have made possible daily deliveries to every address are being eroded. This book assesses volume these declines resulting from this so-called ‘eSubstituion’ and looks at the ways the postal sector can adapt to the rapid changes resulting from ICT. The impact of electronic invoicing on transactions mail, and the impact on bulk mail of electronic forms of advertising are examined. Strategies, including pricing and access policies, are discussed in the context of the increasing impact of ICT. A rethinking of the role of mail in an electronic age is taking place and this book provides the cutting-edge of this rethinking and the attempts of POs to reinvent themselves while continuing to meet the public’s expectation of continuing ubiquitous daily deliveries of traditional mail products.
Undergraduate and postgraduate students and researchers in regulation, competition law, innovation and public sector economics along with institutional libraries and industry professionals will find this volume informative and useful.
Contributors
Contributors: A.M. Amaral, J. Ansón, D. Bailly, F. Boldron, C. Borsenberger, I. Carslake, C. Cazals, M. Cherry, V.V. Comandini, H. Cremer, M.A. Crew, M. Davies, P. De Donder, H. Dietl, P. Dudley, R. Eccles, K. Elkelä, F. Fève, M.D. Field, J.-P. Florens, F. Flórez Duncan, D. Geradin, G. Houpis, C. Jaag, D. Joram, P.R. Kleindorfer, M. Koller, M. Lang, A. Lawrence, D.M. Levy, D. Longman, M. Lutzenberger, M. Maegli, L. Mautino, F. Mazzarella, M. Meidinger, M. Meschi, N. Nieto, H. Nikali, C. Pace, C. Panet-Amaro, E.S. Pearsall, M. Petrova, A. Pimenta, M.J. Ravnitzky, F. Rodriguez, B. Roy, R. Sheldon, S. Soteri, K. Strange, C. Strobel, W. Takis, J. Toledano, U. Trinkner, C.L. Trozzo, C. Valognes, L. Veruete-McKay, T. Walsh
Contents
Contents:
Preface
1. Competitive Strategies under FMO and Intermodal Competition
Michael A. Crew and Paul R. Kleindorfer
2. Invoicing in 16 European Countries
Kari Elkelä
3. Does the Level of Price Elasticity Change with the Progression of Substitution?
Heikki Nikali
4. Understanding the Impact of E-Substitution on Letter Mail Volumes: A Multi-Country Panel Study
Meloria Meschi, Matthew Cherry, Carla Pace and Milena Petrova
5. The Future of the Portuguese Postal Sector and the Role of CTT
Alberto Pimenta and António Manuel Amaral
6. Optimal Pricing for Mail and Welfare Implications in a Communications Market
Philippe De Donder, Helmuth Cremer, Paul Dudley and Frank Rodriguez
7. UK Letter Mail Demand: A Content-based Time-series Analysis Using Overlapping Market Survey Statistical Techniques
Catherine Cazals, Jean-Pierre Florens, Leticia Veruete-McKay, Frank Rodriguez and Soterios Soteri
8. Postal Markets and Electronic Substitution: Implications for Regulatory Practices and Institutions in Europe
Martin Maegli, Christian Jaag, Martin Koller and Urs Trinkner
9. How Many Outlets if the USP Does Not Face Any USO? A Cross-country Comparison
Claire Borsenberger, Denis Joram and Bernard Roy
10. Costing the Universal Service: Evaluating the Demand Response
Isabelle Carslake, George Houpis and Christian Strobel
11. State Funding and Cost Sharing of the USO Under the 2008 EU Postal Services Directive
Richard Eccles
12. Econometric Models and the Evolution of the French Post Office Network
François Boldron, Frédérique Fève, Jean-Pierre Florens, Clémence Panet-Amaro and Christophe Valognes
13. Evaluating the Demand Effects of Reductions in the Frequency of Delivery Service
Edward S. Pearsall and Charles L. Trozzo
14. The UK Service Obligation: What Do the Public Think and How Do They Value It?
Rob Sheldon and Alison Lawrence
15. Assessing Anti-Competitive Behavior in a Postal Market
Mary Davies
16. Price Discrimination in the Postal Sector and Competition Law
Damien Geradin
17. Price Discrimination and Price Differentiation Within Direct Mail
Felipe Flórez Duncan, Dawn Longman, Leonardo Mautino and Paul Dudley
18. The Economics of Postal Payment Channels and EU Postal VAT
Tim Walsh
19. Impact of VAT Exemptions in the Postal Sector on Competition and Welfare
Helmut Dietl, Christian Jaag, Markus Lang, Martin Lutzenberger and Urs Trinkner
20. Competition and Regulation in the Italian Postal Market
Vincenzo Visco Comandini and Francesca Mazzarella
21. Strategic Responses to Recession: A Comparison of the United States Postal Service to Leading Companies
Norma Nieto, Keith Strange and William Takis
22. The United States Postal Service Business Model: Lessons from the American Railroad Industry?
David M. Levy and Matthew D. Field
23. Financial Inclusion and Postal Banking: Is the Survival of Posts Also There?
José Ansón and Joёlle Toledano
24. The Dual Trend Towards Operational Efficiencies and Social Regulation in European Postal Services
Dominique Bailly and Margaux Meidinger
25. Sustainable Growth and the Postal Sector: Universal Service versus Environmental Protection
François Boldron, Claire Borsenberger, Helmuth Cremer, Philippe De Donder, Denis Joram and Bernard Roy
26. Offering Sensor Network Services Using the Postal Delivery Vehicle Fleet
Michael J. Ravnitzky
Preface
1. Competitive Strategies under FMO and Intermodal Competition
Michael A. Crew and Paul R. Kleindorfer
2. Invoicing in 16 European Countries
Kari Elkelä
3. Does the Level of Price Elasticity Change with the Progression of Substitution?
Heikki Nikali
4. Understanding the Impact of E-Substitution on Letter Mail Volumes: A Multi-Country Panel Study
Meloria Meschi, Matthew Cherry, Carla Pace and Milena Petrova
5. The Future of the Portuguese Postal Sector and the Role of CTT
Alberto Pimenta and António Manuel Amaral
6. Optimal Pricing for Mail and Welfare Implications in a Communications Market
Philippe De Donder, Helmuth Cremer, Paul Dudley and Frank Rodriguez
7. UK Letter Mail Demand: A Content-based Time-series Analysis Using Overlapping Market Survey Statistical Techniques
Catherine Cazals, Jean-Pierre Florens, Leticia Veruete-McKay, Frank Rodriguez and Soterios Soteri
8. Postal Markets and Electronic Substitution: Implications for Regulatory Practices and Institutions in Europe
Martin Maegli, Christian Jaag, Martin Koller and Urs Trinkner
9. How Many Outlets if the USP Does Not Face Any USO? A Cross-country Comparison
Claire Borsenberger, Denis Joram and Bernard Roy
10. Costing the Universal Service: Evaluating the Demand Response
Isabelle Carslake, George Houpis and Christian Strobel
11. State Funding and Cost Sharing of the USO Under the 2008 EU Postal Services Directive
Richard Eccles
12. Econometric Models and the Evolution of the French Post Office Network
François Boldron, Frédérique Fève, Jean-Pierre Florens, Clémence Panet-Amaro and Christophe Valognes
13. Evaluating the Demand Effects of Reductions in the Frequency of Delivery Service
Edward S. Pearsall and Charles L. Trozzo
14. The UK Service Obligation: What Do the Public Think and How Do They Value It?
Rob Sheldon and Alison Lawrence
15. Assessing Anti-Competitive Behavior in a Postal Market
Mary Davies
16. Price Discrimination in the Postal Sector and Competition Law
Damien Geradin
17. Price Discrimination and Price Differentiation Within Direct Mail
Felipe Flórez Duncan, Dawn Longman, Leonardo Mautino and Paul Dudley
18. The Economics of Postal Payment Channels and EU Postal VAT
Tim Walsh
19. Impact of VAT Exemptions in the Postal Sector on Competition and Welfare
Helmut Dietl, Christian Jaag, Markus Lang, Martin Lutzenberger and Urs Trinkner
20. Competition and Regulation in the Italian Postal Market
Vincenzo Visco Comandini and Francesca Mazzarella
21. Strategic Responses to Recession: A Comparison of the United States Postal Service to Leading Companies
Norma Nieto, Keith Strange and William Takis
22. The United States Postal Service Business Model: Lessons from the American Railroad Industry?
David M. Levy and Matthew D. Field
23. Financial Inclusion and Postal Banking: Is the Survival of Posts Also There?
José Ansón and Joёlle Toledano
24. The Dual Trend Towards Operational Efficiencies and Social Regulation in European Postal Services
Dominique Bailly and Margaux Meidinger
25. Sustainable Growth and the Postal Sector: Universal Service versus Environmental Protection
François Boldron, Claire Borsenberger, Helmuth Cremer, Philippe De Donder, Denis Joram and Bernard Roy
26. Offering Sensor Network Services Using the Postal Delivery Vehicle Fleet
Michael J. Ravnitzky
