Price wars among courier companies, the battle for dominance between the post office and parcel lockers, and an employee-driven market increasing company costs. It is not easy in the logistics market. This situation affects customers. It is becoming increasingly difficult for suppliers to maintain good service quality. The Logistics Report 2018 discusses what awaits us in the logistics industry in 2018.
For customers, and consequently for the growth rate of the entire e-commerce sector, the timeliness and speed of parcel delivery to the recipient are crucial. There is a greater chance that a customer will be loyal if their parcel arrives on time, preferably the very next day. Is the logistics market ready for this? How does it fit into the growing requirements of Polish consumers in A.D. 2018?
– Due to the business environment, carriers will no longer be able to compete for customers solely on price. The so-called last mile and high-quality customer contact are gaining more importance. This experience will determine whether a customer will use the carrier again, or even the store where they ordered the goods – says Artur Halik, Head of Shoper Premium.
More and more delivery methods
Customers demand an increasingly diverse offer from sellers in terms of available companies and shipping prices. Compared to previous years, the number of stores offering only one delivery method has decreased by about half. It amounted to less than 5 percent. According to analyses by the Shoper platform, in the years 2016-17, 2-3 methods were usually available in e-stores, and in July 2018, it was already 3-4. Record holders, whose numbers have clearly increased since last year, can offer even a dozen or so delivery options.
Most popular methods according to customers…
More than half of customers decide to order via courier. Registered letters and parcel lockers are chosen by approx. 19 percent of customers each. In turn, every twentieth store user picks up their purchases in person. Almost every fifth customer looks for the possibility of delivering goods to a nearby parcel locker.
…and according to e-stores
Customer preferences do not fully coincide with the e-store offer. Although the possibilities are changing, only every third seller proposes courier shipping. It is worth noting, however, that the number of stores that provide this option has been systematically growing over the last two years. The second most frequently offered method is personal pickup, found on almost ¼ of websites. Every fifth store provides the option of shipping products by letter, and in 15 percent, parcel lockers are available.
The largest carriers
Poczta Polska and Paczkomaty are fighting for the top spot in popularity among chosen parcel suppliers. The state giant, with a result of 27.2 percent, is almost 3 points ahead of Paczkomaty, and 8 points ahead of the most popular courier company. We are talking about DPD, which, having been at the forefront for years, this year is more than 2.5 times ahead of its closest direct competitor in courier shipments, GLS.
Detailed data is available on the website: https://www.shoper.pl/static/raporty/2018-09/Shoper-raport-logistyka-2018.pdf
Methodology: The analysis used aggregated statistical data from July 2018, collected on a sample of 8,740 stores on the Shoper platform. Additionally, data provided by the company Omnipack from July 2018, collected on a sample of 7,989 shipments, was used.