DPD expects moderate growth in Germany next year thanks to more e-commerce business which wouldbe higher than an overall market increase forecast of just 2%, DPD CEO Arnold Schroven told
CEP-Research.According to industry surveys, business expectations for 2013 are quite restrained, heexplained. “Therefore, I expect moderate growth of approximately 2% for the German parcel industry.Many of our customers are planning cautiously so that we also expect only moderate increases forour existing business. However, DPD expects its growth will exceed the overall parcels market, aswas already the case last year.”
Schroven stressed: “The entire industry is currently facing the challenge that the continuouslyrising operating costs are not reflected in a reasonable price level. With a consistent priceincrease of 6% on average, DPD is resolutely confronting the price decline prevailing for years. Itis high time to reverse this trend so high-performance parcel delivery will be appreciatedagain.”
B2C deliveries are an important trend as e-commerce customers become more and more a focal pointfor DPD, he further explained. “In Germany, every fourth delivery is now made to a privaterecipient,” he noted.
“High quality and intelligent delivery are the key for DPD to continue taking part in theabove-average growth of the German B2C market. Therefore, in 2013 we will continue the furtherdevelopment of the service innovations we already launched. The expansion of our parcel shopnetwork is also part of our growth strategy,” Schroven added.
He highlighted the growing demands of customers in the B2C business that service providers willhave to tailor their solutions to. “DPD is well prepared for it. For example, we inform ourcustomers, if requested, via SMS or e-mail about the scheduled day of the delivery. The recipientcan in turn postpone this appointment via SMS or e-mail. On the day of delivery, he/she is alsonotified about the delivery time window.”
Since October 2012, this delivery notification service has been made available for manycountries in cross-border transport as it offers strong growth potential especially forinternational e-commerce.
In environmental terms, DPD made a major step forward with climate-neutral delivery offeredunder the name ‘Total Zero’ for all parcels since July 2012, targeting all DPD customers in coreEuropean markets.
“With fully climate-neutral shipping, we have set standards for the logistics sector: climateprotection is becoming an indispensable part of the business. This is also proven by the HanseGlobe award we have won. We see this award as an incentive to continue on the chosen path and totake responsibility for the environment,” Schroven concluded.
DPD Germany has been actively expanding its operational capacity this year. In April, itannounced plans to invest over €40 million in the expansion and modernisation of its parceldistribution centre in Aschaffenburg, in south-east Germany, making it one of the company’s keyEuropean hubs while securing jobs in the region. In May 2012, the company opened a new €20 milliondepot in Nuremberg, southern Germany, doubling its sorting capacity in the city. In October, itfurther expanded the capacity of its parcel distribution centre in Melle, close to Osnabrück innorth-western Germany, with an additional investment of €6 million, adding to the €20 millioninitially invested.
Also in October this year, DPD Germany unveiled plans to double its network of parcel shops inthe country from the present 4,000 to 6,000 by the end of next year and further expand it to 8,000in the medium-term.
