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Table of Contents

Executive Summary

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary

Market Definition

INTRODUCTION

MARKET SECTORS

MARKET POSITION

MARKET TRENDS

Table 1: Share of Transport in the UK Gross Domestic Product at Current Factor Cost (£bn and percent), 1993-1997

Table 2: Industry Turnover and UK International Trade by Main Mode of Transport (£bn), 1993-1997

Table 3: International Trade of the UK Exports and Imports by Volume and Value - All Modes (million tonnes, £bn and £), 1993-1997

Table 4: International Trade of the UK Exports by Volume and Value - All Modes (million tonnes, £bn and £), 1993-1997

Table 5: International Trade of the UK Imports by Volume and Value - All Modes (million tonnes, £bn and £), 1993-1997

Market Size

THE TOTAL MARKET

MARKET SECTORS

Table 6: Industry Turnover and UK International Trade by All Modes of Transport (£bn), 1993-1997

Table 7: UK International Seaborne Trade by Type of Cargo by Volume and Value (million tonnes, £bn and £), 1993-1997

Table 8: International Cargo Carried at UK Airports by Type of Service and Operator (million tonnes), 1993-1997

Industry Background

RECENT HISTORY

INDUSTRY CONCENTRATION

EMPLOYMENT

TRADE ASSOCIATIONS

Table 9: Number of Businesses in the UK Freight Transport Sector by Turnover Category, 1997Î

Table 10: Number of Shipping and Forwarding Agents by Turnover Category, 1993-1997

Table 11: Trading Membership of the British International Freight Association by Company Size - Measured in Number of Employees (number and percent), 1997

Table 12: Trading Membership of the British International Freight Association by UK Region (number and percent), 1997

Table 13: Employees in Employment in Transport and Related Industries in Great Britain (000 employees), As At March 1993-1997

Competitor Analysis

THE MARKETPLACE

MARKET LEADERS AND THEIR BRANDS

Table 14: Major UK Freight Forwarders by Turnover (£m), 1996/1997

Table 15: Major UK Forwarders and Their Roles in the Marketplace, 1997

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT)

STRENGTHS

WEAKNESSES

OPPORTUNITIES

THREATS

Buying Behaviour

CONSUMER PENETRATION

Table 16: Industry Share of Purchasers of Products of the UK Transport Services Sector ( percent), 1997

Table 17: UK Visible Trade by Commodity (£m), 1993-1997

Table 18: International Seaborne Trade (Dry Cargo) by Area by Volume and Value (million tonnes, £bn and percent), 1996

Table 19: International Airfreight by Area by Volume and Value (million tonnes, £bn and percent), 1996

Outside Suppliers to the Industry

INTRODUCTION

TRANSPORT PROVIDERS

OTHER SUPPLIERS

Table 20: Industry Share of the Industries Supplying the UK Transport Services Sector ( percent), 1997e

Current Issues

MARKETING ISSUES

OTHER CORPORATE ACTIVITY

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

OTHER ISSUES

Forecasts

THE FUTURE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

FORECAST 1998 TO 2002

Table 21: Market Forecasts for International Trade and Turnover of UK Freight Forwarders (£bn), 1998-2002

Company Profiles

INTRODUCTION

DEFINITIONS

FURTHER INFORMATION

ASSOCIATIONS

PERIODICALS

DIRECTORIES

GENERAL SOURCES

HBI UK INFORMATION SOURCES

GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS

OTHER SOURCES

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The value of the UK freight forwarding market in 1997 is estimated at £7.5bn. Growth over the past 5 years has averaged around 5.5 percent a year, somewhat lower than the rate of increase in the international trade of the UK. The fastest growing sectors of the forwarding business are in airfreight and in roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) traffic. Short-sea ferry demand has received a boost over recent years following the introduction of services using high-speed craft such as the `Sea Cat'. Freight carried via `Le Shuttle Freight' services operated by Eurotunnel has also been growing rapidly since they were started in 1994, but from a zero base. The deep-sea forwarding business has been growing relatively slowly, whilst through-rail services via the Channel Tunnel have yet to penetrate the market to any extent. The international trade of the UK over the past 5 years has grown strongly in both volume and value, but with considerable fluctuations year-on-year. Seafreight has grown at a rate less than half that of trade by air, but still accounts for the carriage of most international freight.

Moves towards the closer economic integration of Europe, such as the creation of the Single European Market (SEM) have provided an incentive for the expansion of pan-European transport networks. Simultaneously, firms have concentrated more on the need to focus on customer needs, and moved away somewhat from a `producer-oriented' commitment to a specific transport mode.

There will be continuing changes in the definition of what constitutes forwarding activity, and increasing numbers of companies, whatever their core business, are likely to want to participate in a growing market. Success will go to those firms who, regardless of the label applied to them, seek to address the needs of the clients, whether as a global logistics supplier, or as a provider of services to a specific market niche. The background to the forecasts is, therefore, not entirely favourable to the continued growth of the UK forwarding sector, although this should benefit from the predicted healthy growth in international trade at a faster rate than world economic growth, in line with past trends. This is likely to be brought about by a continued lowering of tariff and other barriers to international trade. The sector is also likely to benefit particularly from predicted above-average rates of growth in airfreight. Nevertheless, competitive pressures are strong and traditional forwarders seem likely to continue to lose market share to other freight operators

Text © 1998 Key Note

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