Swiss Post International could buy specialist value-added companies and sign more retailpartnerships to grow its business while continuing to use contractors for physical transport and
delivery, according to a top manager.The profitable Swiss Post business unit is looking for “innovative” companies to help it offercross-border mail and parcel services, Chris Stevens, head of industry for distance-selling, toldthis week’s World Mail & Express Europe conference in Brussels. He was speaking at short noticeon behalf of Daniel Bättig, SPI’s head of cross-border mail.
“We intend to grow further through selected acquisitions in the area of value-added services. Weare looking for innovative companies that enable us to create value for our business,” hesaid.
Having set up retail businesses in the USA, the UK, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy,further retail expansion is planned in Germany, France, Spain, Scandinavia and Asia to broadensales activities, he said. There would be franchise, sale agent and reseller agreements such as therecent deal in the UK with Nightline, for example.
But Stevens stressed that Swiss Post does not want to buy international transport or deliveryfirms. “SPI is not interested in networks outside Switzerland. We do not think we have to own thewhole logistics chain in order to operate it successfully. We are not interested in aircraft,trucks or warehouses abroad. Our focus is on sales.”
SPI is focusing on four main markets: distance-sellers, other postal operators and mailconsolidators, the financial industry and the publishing sector. “Distance-selling is the largestgrowth area but postal operators remain important,” Stevens said. SPI also wants to develop directmarketing products for the tourism industry, he added. Small packages and parcels are the maingrowth market, and B2C products and services in general are becoming more important both for directmarketing and parcel delivery, he said.
In Switzerland, SPI wants to defend its leadership of the cross-border market segment. SwissPost’s partnerships with TNT for international express and with GLS for international deferredparcels will remain unchanged, Stevens stressed. “In Switzerland we are determined to continue amulti-partner strategy for express and parcels.”
In 2010, SPI made an operating profit of CHF 49 million (€35 million) on revenues of CHF 788million (€571 million), representing a 6.1% profit margin, and expects to grow about 6-7% thisyear.
