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Press Releases
Additional Service Enhances Customer Convenience
Tokyo, December 14, 1998 – Federal Express Corporation (FedEx), the world's largest express transportation company, and Kinko's, a leading business service retailer, have agreed to place FedEx Drop Box at six Kinko's outlets in Japan. This is designed to enhance customer service and convenience for FedEx and Kinko's customers.
Customers are now able to bring their shipments to FedEx Drop Boxes at Kinko's. This service enables customers to have their shipments picked up at later cut-off times and to enjoy a \500 discount per shipment off list prices.
By placing its drop boxes at Kinko's, FedEx intends to enhance its service including providing additional convenience. The company also plans to expand its customer base, mainly to small-sized customers. With this new service, Kinko's now provides the benefit of a one-stop shop to cater to business and shipping-related needs of customers, thus enabling Kinko's to expand its range of businesses served.
"We are very pleased that we are able to work together with Kinko's, enabling us to provide additional convenience to our customer base in Japan," said David J. Ross, Vice President of FedEx's North Pacific Region. "Going forward, we are looking to work closely with Kinko's to increase the number of outlets with Drop Boxes, and to provide Kinko's customers with our fast, reliable and value-added express services."
Upon the launch of the service, Ryozo Nishida, president of Kinko's Japan said, "The FedEx Drop Box will provide our customers, most of whom are business people with global business needs, with the added convenience of a one-stop international express shipping center. We are very pleased that with the new service, Kinko's, which is open 24-hours and 365 days, is now able to better serve our customers."
Kinko's outlets offering the FedEx Drop Box service include: Toranomon, Shinjuku-Minamiguchi, Hilton Tokyo, Shinsaibashi in Osaka, Meiekihorokoji in Nagoya, and Tenjin-Minami in Fukuoka. The two companies plan to place FedEx Drop Boxes at other outlets in the future.
When shippers use FedEx's service, they usually call FedEx's toll-free number to have a courier pick up their shipments. The use of FedEx Drop Box at Kinko's will enable shippers to receive the following services:
- Discounts: Compared to pick-up services, shippers will receive a ¥500 discount per shipment.
- Later cut-off times: The cut-off time for the same-day flight service is up to one hour later than that for pick-up service.
- 24 hours operation: Since Kinko's is open 24 hours, shippers can bring their shipments anytime of the day or night.
- Necessary shipping documents and FedEx's supplies available: Since shipping documents and FedEx's free-of-charge supplies are available at Kinko's, shippers have only to bring in the contents.
To commemorate the inauguration of the service, FedEx and Kinko's launched a special campaign from December 1, 1998. They will give out a ¥200 discount coupon for every shipment from any of the newly installed FedEx Drop Box. The coupon can be used for all of Kinko's services throughout Japan.
FedEx currently serves more than 30 countries and territories in the Asia Pacific market with approximately 5,000 employees serving. The company provides the most extensive trans-Pacific airlift of any major competitor. Operating its own wide-bodied MD-11, DC-10 and A310 aircraft, FedEx offers over 260 flights per week to the following locations: Bangkok, Beijing, Cebu, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kaohsiung, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Osaka, Penang, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Subic Bay, Sydney, Taipei and Tokyo, as well as destinations in the U.S.
Federal Express connects areas that generate 90 percent of the world's gross domestic product in 24 to 48 hours with door-to-door, customs-cleared service with a money-back guarantee. The company's unmatched air route authorities and infrastructure make it the world's largest express transportation company, providing fast, reliable and time-definite transportation of more than 3.1 million items in 211 countries each working day. FedEx has more than 142,000 employees, 44,700 drop-off locations, 615 aircraft and 40,900 vehicles in its integrated global network. The company maintains electronic connections with more than a million customers via FedEx PowerShip®, FedEx Ship® and FedEx interNetShip®. Federal Express reported revenues of US$13.3 billion for its fiscal year ended May 31, 1998.
As the Business Convenience, Kinko's Japan started its operations in February 1992 when it launched the first outlet in Nagoya. It opened additional outlets in Tokyo in 1995, and Osaka and Fukuoka 1997. In 1998, the company made a strategic alliance with the JR Group to open kiosk-like Business Conveniences in Tokyo and Osaka Stations. In addition, it launched an outlet at Tokyo Hilton Hotel, the first and unique in-hotel Business Convenience store to meet demands of business customers staying at the hotel. It currently has a total of 24 outlets, including 14 in Tokyo, four in Nagoya, three in Osaka, with 400 employees (as of September 1998).
Having launched as a copy service shop in 1970 in the U.S., Kinko's has grown to become the largest business service shop network with 900 outlets, and now serves as ‘your branch office.' During the 1990's, the company also opened outlets outside of the U.S., including Japan, Korea, Australia, U.K., Holland, UAE, to name a few. It plans to open its outlets in other countries in the future. It also intends to expand services in order to be able to respond to every possible business needs on-site by establishing the on-line network throughout its outlets worldwide. The company hires 23,000 employees and the revenues in 1997 were $700 million.
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