While the 1,000th Relais Poste outlet opened today, a TNS Sofres survey, conducted last June on a sample of individuals, shopkeepers and elected members, shows a real interest in this new form of postal services.
Just over a year after the protocol agreement was signed for Relais Poste outlets in shops [1], the 1,000th Relais Poste outlet opens today in the ‘multiservice d’Ancinnes’ store in la Sarthe (department 72).
This new form of postal presence has managed to convince a growing number of town halls, shopkeepers and residents, drawn in by the chance to take advantage of a local service offering basic postal services in locations and at times to suit the lifestyle of customers.
A trend confirmed in the TNS Sofres study conducted last June on a sample of individuals, shopkeepers and elected members, all directly affected [2] by the presence in their local area of a Relais Poste outlet or Community Postal Agency (APC).
Overall, these partnerships show a high level of general satisfaction: 90% of the population concerned, 87% of town halls and 95% of shopkeepers questioned were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their Relais Poste and/or their Community Postal Agency (APC).
Relais Poste is a service particularly welcomed by customers who appreciate it, in addition to the longer opening hours, the quality of service from shopkeepers and the access to essential La Poste products. Furthermore, an average of 82% of people believed that the APC/Relais Poste outlets made a very positive contribution by strengthening the links between residents and small communities, through sustaining remaining shops and making the community attractive to new residents. 86% of elected members and 90% of shopkeepers acknowledged that the Relais Poste has a positive impact on customer focused business.
It is important to remember that Relais Poste outlets offer essential post office services. from postal products (stamps and Ready-to send pre-paid envelopes, registered mail, forwarding, keepsafe, etc.) to parcels (packaging, deposit and collection, etc.) and financial services (money withdrawal for CCP and Livret A customers up to 150 euros a week). A range of postal services are available with more flexible opening hours offered by customer focused businesses. Relais Poste outlets receive 250 euros a month (300 euros in priority areas) in addition to commission on postal turnover achieved. First called Points Poste and introduced in 2003, Relais Poste outlets increased in just one year from 600 in June 2005 to 1,000 today.
Through Post Offices, Relais Poste outlets and Community Postal Agencies, La Poste currently has 17,026 points of contact in France. La Poste makes the modernisation of its Post Offices a priority and will upgrade 2,400 of them by the end of 2007. Relais Poste outlets and Postal Agencies are close partners and are in close cooperation. They aim to complete the post office network and provide postal services with optimum accessibility and scope.
La Poste Press group contacts:
Written press:
Virginie Gueidier
Tel: 01 55 44 22 41
virginie.gueidier@laposte.fr
Audio-visual press:
Jacques Gourier
Tel: 01 55 44 22 43
jacques.gourier@laposte.fr
[1] The protocol agreement covering the organisation of Relais Poste in stores and shops was signed on the 1st June 2005 by Jean-Paul Bailly, president of La Poste group, Jean-François Bernardin, president of the Assembly of French Chambers of Industry and Commerce, Alain Griset, president of the Permanent Assembly of Chambers of Tradesmen and Crafts, and René Le Pape, president of the Confederation of Tobacco Retailers in France.
[2] TNS Sofres conducted a triple survey of different participants:
General public: telephone survey conducted from 6th-15th June 2006 on a sample of 1,000 people over the age of 15 (quotas by sex, age, profession, householders and region) who live in the areas with a Community Postal Agency (APC) or a Relais Poste outlet (RP). The sample was geographically divided and structured to take into account the reality of the introduction of APC/RP outlets (80% of interviews were conducted with those in rural areas – settlements with less than 2,000 inhabitants).
Elected members:telephone survey conducted from 2nd -12th June 2006 on a sample of 716 town halls of areas with a Community Postal Agency or Relais Poste outlet (461 town halls had a Community Postal Agency and 255 town halls had a Relais Poste outlet).
Shopkeepers:telephone survey conducted from 7th -10th June 2006, on a sample of 150 shopkeepers with a Relais Poste outlet.
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