DPD Russia has launched various new parcel delivery services for customers, including the addition of China to its DPD MAX service and the distribution of parcels via Logibox terminals. It has also started operations in Armenia which joined the Eurasian Customs Union in January 2015.
As part of a strategy to further develop its international delivery services, the company has expanded the DPD MAX service which until now has been offering transportation of palletised goods from 15 European countries to Russia.
With the expansion, DPD is now providing a competitively-priced delivery service between China and Russia.
“Russia and China have a huge potential in bilateral trade with turnover continuously growing. Russia is among China's top 10 trading partners of China. In addition, China is known as the country with the largest economy in the world that manufactures and distributes endless number of competitive products,” DPD Russia explained.
Transportation from China to Russia is delivered by DPD’s Chinese partner Tigers which took over the collection of goods throughout China and their consolidation at its own warehouse in Shanghai.
After the arrival of goods in Russia, DPD takes over customs clearance and delivery of the goods to the recipients. Thus, DPD customers can profit from a cost-effective door-to-door delivery service with a predictable time schedule.
According to preliminary estimates, DPD MAX reduces delivery times by three times when compared with transportation by sea, while the price is two-three times cheaper than air transportation.
"This service is tapping demand from our customers in the central region, in Siberia and the Far East,” Yevgeny Privalov, Head of International Transport at DPD Russia, said. “Today, the development focus of the economy has changed a lot: it is directed towards the Asian region. So I am confident that our new logistics solution will strengthen the company's position in the parcels and freight market."
As an additional service, DPD Russia started distributing parcels via Logibox, a national network of automated postal terminals for receiving and handing in shipments, as it continues to expand its network of collecting and delivering parcels. It has developed a solution connecting different partner networks thus considerably increasing the number of service points which is expected to exceed 800 all over Russia by the end of this year.
Beyond receiving goods at home or via the DPD service points, customers can now also get their parcels from one of the 125 Logibox postal terminals called ‘pochtomats’ in Russian.
All terminals are conveniently located at shopping centers and train stations of 60 cities in Russia. The new delivery method is very popular with shoppers for goods ordered on-line, enabling them not only to save money but to receive their purchases more speedily.
To receive their parcels from the automated terminals consisting of individual lockers, users only need to enter their personal pin code which they receive via a free SMS notification which includes the address of the terminal and further necessary information. Payment can be made on site in cash or by credit card.
If necessary, the recipient can re-direct delivery to another terminal or DPD service point, change the delivery date and address, via the DPD Predict service.
"Every year, we strive to be closer to our customers by developing most appropriate solutions for them, implementing and developing new unique services,” Andrey Mayorov. General Director of DPD Russia, said.
“The key foundations of Logibox is that it is end-user friendly and offers a quality service,” Logibox' Commercial Director Valery Sharando commented.
“We hope that the expansion of the service range for DPD customers will become popular, useful and beneficial for everyone.”
Russian Post also has an agreement with Logibox via its express subsidiary EMS Russian Post signed in 2012.
Last month, DPD became the logistics partner of the delivery service for internet shops ‘Yandex.Delivery’ which allows online shops to use the services of multiple delivery providers and to ship goods from Moscow and its metropolitan region to any region in Russia. The service targets mainly small and medium-sized online shops.
As part of the partnership with Yandex.Delivery, DPD offers its customers delivery to more than 8,000 destinations. Parcels can also be picked up at the company’s service points, including the 125 Logibox terminals in Russia's 60 largest cities. Before launching Yandex.Delivery, the IT-systems of partner companies have been successfully integrated.
“Since 2010, DPD has been delivering goods to internet stores. During this period, we have been developing, implementing and offering services taking into account all the needs of demanding consumers and online stores. Our extensive experience enables us to make reliable and cost-efficient deliveries for "Yandex.Delivery" customers even to remote areas of Russia," Mayorov said.
As part of its geographical expansion, DPD Russia opened a representative office in Yerevan, Armenia, last month, after the country joined the Eurasian Customs Union (EACU) earlier this year.
Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan founded the Union on 1 January 2010, with Armenia joining on 2 January 2015. The most recent member is Kyrgyzstan which became a member as recently as 6 August.
The Customs Union was launched as a first step towards forming a broader European Union-type economic alliance of former Soviet states. The member states have pursued economic integration and removed all customs borders between each other after July 2011.
From July this year, DPD has been providing air deliveries of parcels from Russia to Armenia at competitive rates and the service already extends to 47 Armenian cities and towns.
The service is generating strong demand among small and medium-sized businesses. Customers can choose a convenient service for transporting small shipments and orders from online stores between Russia and Armenia within two days.
The parcel sorting takes place at a dedicated terminal in the central part of Yerevan, the capital and largest city of Armenia. Available to any resident of the city, the location enables anyone to bring along their own parcel or pick it up at their convenience.
DPD is actively working on developing ground deliveries between Russian and Armenia while also planning to start a regular flight to Yerevan via Georgia.
"In order to be as accessible as possible for customers, we are actively expanding our geographical coverage of the Customs Union,” Mayorov added. “This year, the turnover of DPD among the member countries of the Union has doubled."
