DHL to set up network of service centres in Hungary

DHL, the world leader in cross-border express deliveries, is setting up a network of service centres in Hungary to better cater to small and medium-sized businesses, Joseph Borocz, sales manager for DHL Express Magyarorszag, announced on Tuesday.

Big businesses, which account for 80pc of DHL’s revenue in Hungary, use DHL couriers for their pick ups as well as deliveries. But smaller businesses, which may not get daily deliveries, can opt to drop off their deliveries at the service centres, called “Servicepoints”.

DHL’s market research shows a big increased in demand for express delivery services by SMEs since Hungary joined the EU, Mr Borocz said. DHL expects its market in Hungary to expand rapidly over the next five years.

DHL has already opened its first Servicepoint in Budapest’s Bank Center, and will open another, together with retail office supply chain Office Depot, in just a few weeks time. By 2007, DHL aims to have 25-30 Servicepoints in the capital and other cities around Hungary.

DHL counts among its clients in Hungary 5,000 big companies, 7,000 SMEs and 3,000 private individuals.

Last year, DHL Magyarorszag had revenue of HUF 17.99bn, generated in equal part by express deliveries and road haulage activities. DHL Magyarorszag made 680,000 deliveries in 2004. This year, the company expects revenue of HUF 19.3bn from 740,000 deliveries, and next year it projects revenue of HUF 20bn from more than 1m deliveries.