German consumer parcels group Hermes Logistik announced today that it has won mail-order groupQuelle as a new customer in Austria. Austrian Post confirmed the loss of business which it put at
seven million parcels a year.Hermes Logistik said that from January 1 it will take over distribution of all B2C shipmentsof Quelle Austria (part of the Primondo Group) as well as deliveries of other Primondo companiessuch as the home TV shopping station HSE24. It would also start to deliver all the parcels ofPrimondo mail-order company Neckermann Austria shortly afterwards.
“We are delighted with the cooperation with Primondo and naturally want to take advantage ofthe opportunity to establish ourselves in Austria with our services as a professional logisticspartner for major customers,” said Hanjo Schneider, Hermes Logistik managing director.
The German company, which entered the Austrian market in July, could thus extend its “verysatisfactory” development in the country, he added. “We have already exceeded and nearly doubledour target of covering 20% of the Austrian B2C parcel market in 2008,” Schneider disclosed.
Hermes said that its service features would include up to four home delivery attempts,delivery to an alternative address, and additional options such as Saturday deliveries or 24-hourservice.
Quelle Austria chairman Wolfgang Binder said the new Hermes services would lead to “countlessservice improvements” for its customers.
In a separate statement, Austria Post confirmed the loss of the Quelle contract but stressedthe mail-order firm remained an important customer for catalogues and direct mailings. It wouldstrive to win back lost parcel volumes “on the basis of outstanding delivery quality”. The lostbusiness would reduce its volume by seven million parcels and negatively impact its operatingincome by approximately EUR 20 million.
Austrian Post said it would more intensively adapt its product portfolio to proactivelyrespond to market trends. “This change on the marketplace will now accelerate the implementation ofplanned measures. A restructuring of our logistics operations is imminent, said chairman AntonWais.
