DPD and GLS are both expanding their operations in Ireland to add capacity for rising volumes.
DPD has invested €2 million to expand its main hub at Athlone, increasing the sorting capacity by 20%. This takes overall investment at the site to €38 million to date.
In addition, DPD, which describes itself as the country’s largest dedicated parcel delivery company, is creating 120 new jobs, including sorting workers, drivers and administrative staff.
The new jobs, which take its workforce in Ireland to 1,840 employees, were announced by Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys, who officially opened the expanded hub last month.
DPD Ireland chief executive Des Travers said the jobs announcement reflects a period of sustained growth in the business, with increased online shopping leading to a rise in parcel deliveries.
“We are on track to deliver 22 million parcels this year, up from 19 million last year, and boosting our team will allow us to scale up faster. Irish retailers are continuing to improve their online presence, offering consumers a better choice, and as a result, deliveries are up and our turnover is expected to be €100 million,” he said.
Over the peak period, DPD Ireland will see upwards of 170,000 parcels processed per day throughout its network of 34 Irish depots. A total of 21,000 parcels will be sorted per hour, versus the regular non-peak parcel volumes of 14,000 per hour.
Meanwhile, GLS has more than doubled the number of its ParcelShops in Ireland ready for the peak season. Consumers can now conveniently post, collect or return GLS parcels at almost 400 service points.
Thanks to a partnership with ParcelDirect.ie, GLS Ireland has seamlessly integrated around 200 new service points into its existing GLS ParcelShop network. ParcelDirect.ie primarily collaborates with an association of Spar supermarkets and filling stations to ensure good supply in rural areas.
“Web shops and their customers particularly stand to benefit from the expansion of our network,” said Andreas Rickert, Managing Director of GLS Ireland.
With its FlexDeliveryService, GLS gives parcel recipients the option to have their orders sent to a ParcelShop of their choice or set a specific delivery time, for example. If the merchant chooses ShopReturnService, consumers can drop off returns in ParcelShops free of charge. Both services are also available for international parcels to and from Ireland.
