TNT Post said that it will be entering into a strategic partnership in the German mail delivery market with the Süddeutscher Verlag and the MunichbasedIppen Publishing Group.

"The partnership will provide TNT Post access to 1.6 million households and secure the "fi nal mile" delivery in the Greater Munich Area. The new partners are also aiming to co-operate more closely in other areas of Germany where these publishers have interest in local mail delivery companies," TNT Post said in a statement.

TNT Post has also taken a 25.1 percent share in ecofl ash Briefservice GmbH, a regional mail delivery specialist jointly owned by the Süddeutscher Verlag and the Ippen Publishing Group. The transaction remains subject to regulatory approval by the German authorities.