PostNord launches consultancy business to build on e-commerce growth
Swedish-Danish postal operator PostNord has launched a new consultancy business. The new unit launched by the parent company of Sweden Post and Post Danmark will focus particularly on the retail and e-commerce fields.
PostNord, which is joint-owned by the Swedish and Danish states, said its new offering would provide “in-depth” insight into consumer behaviour, communications and logistics.
The firm said its new offering comes during a “rapid growth” in the Nordic e-commerce market, and at a time when consumers are looking to engage with retailers through various different channels — physical and online.
These changes in customer behaviour mean new demands for insight and understanding, PostNord claimed.
Håkan Ericsson, the president and group chief executive at PostNord, said his company possessed the insight needed to help customers reach the right target group by the right channel at the right time.
“When we help our customers communicate effectively with their customers, it increases the likelihood of their customers making a purchase,” he said.
“Increased trade also fuels the need for effective logistics solutions with reduced tied-up capital.”
“Recipient power”
E-commerce has become a more important part of PostNord’s own business as its traditional letter volumes have dwindled. But with strong competition in the Nordic e-commerce delivery and logistics markets, the company has been looking for the best way to tap the potential of soaring popularity in online retail.
Last month PostNord issued research stating that consumers in the Nordic region spent SEK 36.5bn shopping online during the first quarter of 2015, a 7% year-on-year increase.
The firm said 75% of Danes are now shopping online, where “recipient power” is valued highest, but almost half of all people in the Nordic region now consider it very important to be able to choose the delivery method for their purchases.
Other trends uncovered by PostNord’s study last month included the rising number of people using mobile phones or tablets to make purchases.
Ericsson said his business customers were “positively surprised” that PostNord had moved into insight-based business development.
“They can see that working in partnership with us gives them clearly defined potential for improvement,” he claimed.
“The projects in which PostNord Insight has already been involved have proved our ability to contribute towards boosting customer profitability by around 20%, through more effective communication.”
