DHL Helps Bring The Mardi Gras Spirit To New Orleans And Beyond

DHL, the world's leading express delivery and logistics company, has launched the King Cake shipping program for all bakeries in the New Orleans region, helping thousands of displaced New Orleanians get a taste of home in Mardi Gras tradition. DHL's King Cake shipping program was introduced to Randazzo's Camellia City Bakery in the aftermath of Katrina, and helped the bakery revive its business and distribute world-famous New Orleans' King Cakes nationwide. Bakeries that survived and recovered after the storm are now thriving, and more are reopening.

The King Cake is emblematic of the Mardi Gras traditions of Southern hospitality and generosity of spirit. With a tiny toy baby baked inside, the person whose piece of cake contains the baby provides the King Cake for the next party. This year, many small-to-medium size bakeries have signed up for DHL's special King Cake shipping program which has helped them manage the rising interest in the New Orleans delicacy.

This season, Randazzo's expects to increase its volume of orders as high as 40% over last year, even in light of the shorter Mardi Gras season. Due to the high volume of orders this year, Randazzo's has four DHL EasyShip shipment processing systems integrated with the company's website order system for quick, automated processing of customer orders.

DHL now offers a special King Cake shipping program to all bakeries in the region that sell the famous King Cakes, which are sold starting in early January through "Fat Tuesday" (Mardi Gras) observed this year on February 5. The program includes a special festive, co-branded Mardi Gras decorated shipping box, provided by DHL and designed to open from the top to protect the oval-shaped cake. In addition, DHL is also offering cost effective shipping solutions as part of the program and to help bakeries in the area manage their costs.

"DHL was there to get us back up and running after hurricane Katrina, and the ongoing support they are providing this season is critical as we manage the massive volume of customer orders," said Tricia Zornes, owner of Randazzo's. "We're seeing many repeat orders this year from customers all over the country, clearly satisfied not only with our King Cakes but with the level of reliability from DHL. The festive boxes provided by DHL make the delivery of these cakes even that much more special for our customers," said Zornes.

Randazzo's and many other King Cake bakeries in the region now find that over half of their King Cake orders are for delivery outside Louisiana. According to Zornes, most of the orders have been from customers in Texas, Florida, and Washington, DC.

"DHL has a history of providing its shipping and logistics expertise to help those in need, delivering humanitarian assistance through the DHL Disaster Response Teams in the US and around the world," said Charles Brewer, Vice President of Sales for DHL. "We have leveraged our resources to support disaster relief along the Gulf Coast and are pleased to support the private sector in rebuilding their businesses and their livelihoods."

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DHL is the global market leader of the international express and logistics industry, specializing in providing innovative and customized solutions from a single source. DHL offers expertise in express, air and ocean freight, overland transport, contract logistic solutions as well as international mail services, combined with worldwide coverage and an in-depth understanding of local markets. DHL's international network links more than 225 countries and territories worldwide with over 300,000 employees dedicated to providing fast and reliable services that exceed customers' expectations.

Founded in San Francisco in 1969, DHL is a Deutsche Post World Net brand. The group generated worldwide revenues of $80B in 2006. For more information on DHL, visit www.dhl.com.

SOURCE: DHL