DPD today unveiled plans to double its network of parcel shops in Germany as it continues to expandin the B2C market.
The international parcel and express service provider said it will increase the number ofparcel shops, operated as “shop-in-shop” service outlets, from the present 4,000 to 6,000 by theend of next year and further expand it to 8,000 in the medium-term. It is also investing in thetechnical facilities of its Parcel Shops and continuing to drive forward the development of its B2Cservices.
DPD said that B2C is already a large part of its business in Germany with 25 per cent of itsparcels delivered to a private consignee. In all, DPD delivers some 2.5 million parcels a day inEurope and beyond.
“DPD is increasingly focusing on e-commerce customers,” explained DPD CEO Arnold Schroven.“Our Parcel Shops provide the backbone for uncomplicated and convenient shipping to privateconsignees. Combined with tailor-made products and sophisticated computer services, a network of8,000 DPD Parcel Shops with the latest IT facilities will provide us with the ideal infrastructurefor further growth in the B2C segment. At the same time we will be establishing the third majorparcel shop network on the German market.”
The two largest B2C networks in Germany are those of DHL, based on the 13,000 Deutsche Postpost offices and agencies, 7,000 points of sale and 2,500 Packstation terminals, and Hermes, withsome 14,000 parcel shops.
In a further innovation, DPD will offer the choice of delivery directly to a parcel shop fromthe beginning of 2013. At present, recipients who were not at home when the first delivery attemptwas made, can redirect their parcel to a DPD parcel shop using the online portalwww.neuzustellung.de.
“Private consignees are often not at home when their parcel is delivered,” Schrovenexplained. “For many consignees the option of collecting parcels from a DPD Parcel Shop is a usefulalternative to home delivery. In addition it enables us to avoid unnecessary delivery trips, whichcuts down on CO2 emissions.”
The FlexDelivery service which DPD has launched over the past year also makes an importantcontribution to successful delivery at the very first attempt. With this service the consigneereceives an SMS or email message the day before the delivery date. The consignee can then postponethe notified delivery to one of the next three working days. On the actual day of delivery theconsignee is informed by SMS or email about the time window during which the parcel will bedelivered. In 2013 the redirection of a parcel to a DPD Parcel Shop will be introduced as a furtherservice option for FlexDelivery.
DPD’s Parcel Shops also play an important role in returns management. At a DPD Parcel Shopconsignees who are not satisfied with the goods they have received can return them to the shipperconveniently and fast.
From 2013 all new and existing DPD Parcel Shops will be equipped with new IT facilities. Thiswill make shipping from DPD Parcel Shops even faster and simpler – both for the shop’s customersand for its operator. DPD stressed that it will continue to use its shop-in-shop strategy in theexpansion of its Parcel Shop network.
