This week has seen the Mail and Express Delivery Show (MEDS) and the over-riding message was that domestic and worldwide shipping companies alike need to innovate to survive.

Walter Blackwood, the former MD of Parcel2Go's partner HDNL, predicted that there would be "more consolidation and acquisitions in the courier market," whilst Chris Pearce-Ramwell of CPR Logistics warned established companies not to let their reputations be tarnished by bandwagon-jumpers.

However, overall there was an air of optimism at MEDS. Whilst the industry had been hit hard by the recession, operators can now plan for a brighter future by making the most of the growing online retail sector.