Baker Goodchild discuss the benefits of international post

April 2, 2015 - Think of a world without postage It's hard to think there was a time when international postage didn't exist, where people didn't have the opportunity to send a parcel to another country within a matter of weeks, let alone days.

It was the concept of postage stamps that revolutionised international post and made it possible. The first stamp was released in the UK in 1840. It was known as the Penny Black and featured a profile of Queen Victoria.

The Universal Postal Union
A few decades later, in 1874, The Universal Post Union was established as part of the United Nations. This became the regulating body for international post and was in charge of co-ordinating policies between member countries.

Today there are 192 countries registered with the Universal Postal Union. The establishment of the union is celebrated on 9th October each year, on a day that has become known as 'World Post Day.' And the industry certainly has a lot to celebrate, with it being one of the world's largest employers.

Postal Services are a major employer and economic force worldwide
Postal companies currently employ over 5.4 million people worldwide to process both domestic and international mail. In addition to this, there are also jobs in aviation, railway, stationery and many other industries thanks to international postal services.

However, employment is not the only benefit international post brings to the world. It is also a major contributor to world economic activity and beneficial to other industries like manufacturing by ensuring goods and services are where they need to be. "It's easy to take something like international post for granted," said Lorraine Burnell, Managing Director of Birmingham-based mailing house Baker Goodchild. "If it didn't exist, individuals and businesses wouldn't have half the opportunities they are given today."

Lorraine continues to explain: "Take ecommerce for example. If there was no such facility as international postal services, businesses would struggle to sell their products to customers all over the world and customers wouldn't have the privilege of buying products not readily available in their home countries."

Consumers have more choice in 2015
The fact of the matter is that consumers have far more choice when buying from around the world and that's not just thanks to the ecommerce companies but the people actually providing international postal services. Today consumers have the comfort of knowing that if a product isn't launched in their home country yet, they can simply order it from abroad and have it posted to them. Sure the postage isn't always cheap but it certainly provides them with an easy way to access unique products from across the globe.

Similarly, those who move abroad and miss their home comforts can simply have them posted to them. All of the ecommerce sites set up for expats wanting to purchase food and goods only available in the UK, would not be able to fulfil their orders without international post.

Postage prices competitive and can be negotiated further
Across the world, prices tend to vary but that's not something that people have to sit back and accept. Thanks to international postal services, consumers can simply purchase cheaper international products and have them sent to them, rather than forking out for more expensive local products. This tends to be the case with things like clothing, perfume and medicine, which is often ordered from UK sites and posted to other countries where the same products are more expensive.

Whilst Royal Mail isn't one of the world's top 100 revenue generating companies like Deutsche Post and UPS, it is one of the cornerstones of Britain. Whilst it has certainly faced a few road bumps over the last couple of years, it still continues to be British consumers' top choice for sending out international letters and parcels.

Royal Mail's international postage zones cover four territories including the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), Europe (48 countries throughout Europe), World Zone 1 (all other countries not in Europe in World Zone 2) and World Zone 2 (covers 32 countries identified by Royal Mail.)

Royal Mail is able to offer international delivery to Europe in just three to five working days and delivery to the rest of the world in five to seven working days. There's no denying how amazing it is that letters and parcels can now be sent half way round the world within a week!

For more information on sending international post to customers across the world, visit www.bakergoodchild.com and read through the international post service options or view our latest infographic here.

Contact information:
Telephone: 0800 612 1972 Fax: 0121 248 8550

Baker Goodchild 257 Great King Street The Jewellery Quarter Birmingham B19 3AS

Image credit: Warm n' Fuzzy