8 July 2022
URGENT: Delivery Transit Time Changes
To All Our Valued Store-To-Door Customers,
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and reassure you of our commitment to delivering a reliable, cost-effective service across South Africa.
Since inception in 2010, our first to market Store-To-Door service in South Africa has become an integral part of the lives of so many customers. Ranging from small home-based businesses to sending a gift to a loved one, we have been at the forefront of developing a reliable overnight delivery service for all. During the initial COVID-19 crisis back in 2020, our Store-To-Door service provided a vital lifeline to citizens in lockdown with essential goods deliveries.
We are proud of the fact that we have been able to provide the same reliable service at the same R99.99 price for nearly 12 years. We have refined the service considerably during this period and looked at innovative ways of enhancing customer experience with greater cost efficiency. More recently, we launched our Digital Store-To-Door service which cuts out the need for a paper-based waybill. These initiatives have helped us to sustain the service and maintain value for money to our customers.
Since the start of 2022 we have seen several significant increases in the price of fuel. On the 5th of January 2022 the price of 93 unleaded fuel was at R19.63 per/l, and as of the 6th of July 2022, the price of 93 unleaded has climbed to R26.31 per/l. This is an increase of 25.3% and more increases are forecast in the coming months.
For us to maintain a reliable service at an affordable price we have had to take some urgent steps to ensure we adapt to the changing environment.
With immediate effect our Store-To-Door service will no longer be operated as a Next Business Day delivery service between multiple main centres. With rising fuel costs, linehaul, collection and delivery and specifically airline costs, have increased exponentially.
To alleviate the cost of the service we will now be moving all Store-To-Door shipment by road instead of by air. For the most part this will have very little effect on the services that can be serviced by road within 24 hours. However, shipments to and from some of our coastal branches will be impacted. Moving shipments by road instead of by air will add approximately 24 hours to the anticipated delivery time. As an example, shipments between Cape Town and Johannesburg will take an extra 24 hours to deliver. Regional and remote areas will in most cases remain unaffected but, in some cases, can see extended delivery times.
This change has allowed us to manage the effect of the fuel increase and keep the cost of the sleeve at R99.99. This excludes the manual waybill cost of R20 which remains in effect.
We remain committed to delivering the same reliable service you have come to depend on, and we will continue to drive efficiencies and innovation to enhance the customer experience.
We thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely yours,
George Van Der Merwe
Country Manager (MD)
Aramex South Africa (Pty) Ltd
