Austrian “parcel shops” to replace closed post offices

The British Post Office’s international subsidiary GLS is setting up “parcel shops” throughout Austria to replace services of hundreds of closing rural post offices, said GLS spokesmen on Tuesday.

Under Austrian Post Office plans, 350 mostly rural post offices were to be closed this year. GLS planned to set up 500 new “parcel shops” by the end of 2006. They would be in banks, shops, or local government offices.

GLS-Austria chief Christof Bader said he was hoping for 200,000 packages and a turnover increase of one million euros. Sending the smallest package inside Austria would cost about 3.50 euros.

Head of the international GLS, Rico Back, said he did not exclude that in future, the parcel shops would accept ordinary letters as well.

Bader said that as opposed to the Austrian Post Office, his company would not refuse to go to any location if asked. GLS planned to open its first 30 shops in eastern Austria in the next few weeks. There had been talks with banks. Retail store chains had also shown interest.

The Austrian Post, too, said it had signed 150 agreements with similar partners in areas hit by the closure of post offices.

But the GLS said its concept was more cost-saving. While an Austrian Post partner had to set up a separate stand and computer link, the GLS partner only needed an additional sign on the door, stickers, leaflets and a list of transactions.

Initially, the parcels would only be sent in the E.U. region to avoid customs formalities. GLS would pick up parcels for delivery at all its shops every day, even in such remote areas as Tyrol’s Zillertal valley, said Bader.

His company already had 260 staff and 340 vehicles in Austria. More vehicles were being supplied by partner-firms.

GLS, with a worldwide turnover of 1.3 billion euros and 12,000 staff, already has 1,600 parcel shops in Germany. It has started operations in the Netherlands and plans to do so in Denmark in the near future. (Schluss) qu