Leading mail and express research consultancy Triangle Management Services has just published the express carrier industry's annual benchmarking study, the UK Domestic B2B Parcels Distribution Survey. Based on 300 interviews with shippers despatching 100+ parcels a month, this year's 180-page report reveals a number of notable movements in shippers' perceptions of the service and quality offered by their carriers.

One of the key areas highlighted by the report as having experienced a notable shift in sensitivity is the issue of pricing. It's clear from the responses received that the industry is coming from a period of price restraint, possibly reflecting the highly competitive nature of the market place in 2005, into what many respondents expect will be a period of greater price hardening over the next 12 months.

Furthermore, the survey spotlights the shippers' growing desire to have a more up-front and urgent pro-active response from their UK express carriers advising them of shipment delivery problems. Robin Parr-Davies, Triangle's Express Director, points out that ''many respondents mentioned their need for better and quicker information when things go wrong, and advice of late or non-delivery of consignments is clearly still an important area of concern. Although this issue was apparent in 2005 there appears to have been little customer perception of progress into 2006.''

Other results to come out of the Survey, which has become required and respected reading within the express industry since its inception 20 years ago, include some significant shifts in the overall quality of service offered by some of the biggest names amongst the parcel operators and notable movements in their perceived abilities to collect and deliver on time, and the level of security they offer.

Copies of the 2006 UK Domestic B2B Parcels Distribution Survey are available now, allowing carriers to benchmark their performance against their direct competitors. The Survey rates and profiles named individual carriers across nine separate categories (such as price, service quality and image) to reveal a fascinating range of opinions on the different operators' services. The majority of respondents also sent out palletised shipments, and questions on express pallet distribution were asked as well as on their international and same-day shipments. For continuous subscribers the report includes five-year trend analysis rating various services to illustrate year-on-year developments.

One of the new subject matters covered this year is the frequency of parcel collection, while respondents have also been asked for the first time to rate carriers' staff in the two key areas of customer service and delivery. Such added value will enable carriers receiving the report to, amongst other things, measure the relative effectiveness of their marketing and customer service strategies.

In addition to the UK, Triangle carries out express and parcel distribution surveys in a number of other European countries, most notably France, Germany and Spain. For more information on any of our studies, or to purchase a copy of the 2006 UK Domestic Parcels Distribution Survey report, please contact Triangle by email at robin.parr.davies@triangle.eu.com or on 0870 950 7900.

Notes for Editors:

• With extensive experience in market research and syndicate surveys, Triangle brings its industry knowledge of the global express, mail and logistics sectors to provide an incisive approach and added-value interpretation of results;

• Triangle's market research services include annual syndicate surveys, market overviews and bespoke research conducted throughout the world on behalf of subscribing companies;

• The UK Domestic Parcels Distribution Survey is available for purchase at a price of £11,750 (+ VAT where applicable).

Triangle Management Services Ltd, founded in 1984, is today the pre-eminent independent specialist management services company within the global mail, express and logistics sectors. Triangle offers the following services to clients: Recruitment, Market Research, Consultancy, Conferences and Mergers and Acquisitions - all of which focus primarily on the mail and express industry sectors.