InPost is expanding in its Polish home market with the launch of courier delivery services to target the fast-growing e-commerce market and to complement its postal delivery and parcel locker businesses.
The company said it will provide courier services for both individual and business customers, thus competing directly with international parcel companies and Polish Post, which currently dominate the B2B and B2C sectors respectively.
InPost explained that its entry into the courier market would allow it to dynamically develop in the e-commerce sector. The total value of online sales in Poland is estimated at 27 billion PLN per year, generating about 155 million parcels with a value of 4.4 billion PLN. In particular, the new service will enable greater cooperation with Poland’s largest e-trading platform Allegro and with other important e-commerce players globally.
InPost claimed that in conjunction with the InPost Parcel Locker network and the 8,300 strong InPost Customer Points, the new courier services will make it “the only company in Poland providing a comprehensive and complementary range of national and international logistics services”.
Outlining the new service, InPost said it will deliver parcels to addresses across the entire country, either directly to homes or to a selected InPost Parcel Locker. It will offer guaranteed next-day delivery (12:00 – 17:00), attractive pricing and the largest network of collection points.
The company will use 10,000 GPS-equipped delivery drivers along with its network of 1,300 parcel lockers, with a further 400 planned. All shipments will be tracked and free returns are available.
Rafal Brzoska, CEO of InPost, said: “The future of the market is to offer the full spectrum of services at every stage in the logistics of delivery. We are currently the only operator in Poland to offer postal services, courier delivery, financial services and access to a parcel locker network ‘under one roof’. We are able to fulfill every stage of the supply chain at the operational level between the seller and buyer. Thanks to a tried-and-tested infrastructure and an experienced team, we ensure expeditious and timely deliveries of a large number of parcels, even in peak periods like the pre-Christmas season. I am convinced that our offer of integrated services – enriched by courier services – will allow even faster development for InPost."
InPost said it has successfully developed three main business areas over recent years: a parcel service dedicated to business and individual e-commerce clients based on a network of innovative InPost Parcel Lockers; postal-courier services grounded in its network of post offices; and financial and insurance services.
In 2014, the number of items handled by InPost reached approximately 280 million units. Up to 1.2 million letters and parcels can be processed at InPost’s state-of-the-art sorting facility. High performance is also a feature of InPost’s Parcel Lockers – 98% of packages arrive within 24 hours of posting.
