The value of the courier and parcel market in Poland in 2018 may reach over PLN 6.4 billion, which means that Poles will send almost 440 million parcels annually, according to a PwC analysis. Poczta Polska anticipates that its courier services will continue to gain ground, despite very strong market competition from companies belonging to designated operators of other countries and global logistics corporations.
Between 2015 and 2018, the parcel and courier market will grow at a rate of over 10 percent in terms of volume and revenue growth. The further expansion of the e-commerce sector will have a significant impact on the development of the logistics industry. Last year, online shopping deliveries generated 29% of parcel traffic; in three years, this will be 39%, including 3.2% for return handling.
Poczta Polska is increasingly serving the courier parcel market in Poland. In the first quarter of 2016, the operator delivered nearly 12 million Pocztex courier parcels. This is over 20 percent more shipments compared to the same period a year earlier. Poczta Polska’s courier results are currently higher than the average growth for the entire market, which is over 10 percent.
– We estimate further growth of our courier services despite very strong competition. In our opinion, the growth of the courier and parcel market in Poland by 2018 may exceed 12% annually – says Grzegorz Kurdziel, member of the board of Poczta Polska.
The increase in the number of parcels by over 20 percent in the first quarter of this year compared to the first quarter of 2015 is the result of, among other things, new contracts with large shippers. Among them are retail chains that are developing online sales and choosing Poczta Polska to handle orders or to supply company warehouses on an ongoing basis. Poczta Polska is the only company on the market that offers a guaranteed delivery time for courier shipments the next day. It is enough to send the parcel by 5:00 PM (in provincial cities) or 3:00 PM (in other locations). Additionally, the shipment is picked up from the client’s premises and delivered directly to the end customer. Poczta’s courier services are also chosen for handling shipments in banks and telecommunications companies as a secure way to send documents to their clients.
– If for some reason they do not want to pick it up at home, they have the option to change their decision and choose one of 4,200 post offices and nearly 1,000 Orlen gas stations across the country, where the parcel will be waiting for them. The “Pick-up at a Point” service also allows for lower delivery costs – says Grzegorz Kurdziel.
New trends in delivery standards
With the spread of online shopping, online stores are beginning to place increasing importance on non-price delivery conditions. Delivery speed is losing its significance as the main criterion for customer choice. Customers care most about delivery certainty. This means that the share of shipments with the shortest delivery time in the total number of parcels is decreasing in favor of economy parcels, i.e., cheaper ones with a longer delivery time.
60% of traffic on the Polish parcel market is generated by five main industries: e-commerce, retail, direct sales, finance, and publishing. Thanks to its extensive sending and receiving network, Poczta Polska is very well adapted to serving e-shops, providing access to customers throughout the country, as well as the richest range of delivery forms. Among other important delivery conditions, late pick-up hours and the possibility of SMS and email contact between the recipient and the courier are mentioned. For sellers, it matters not only that the goods arrive in an undamaged state, but that the packaging itself looks aesthetic and is an element building a positive shopping experience. In the coming years, the demand for oversized parcel delivery services will increase due to the development of online sales of household appliances and furniture.