Swiss Post: The decline in parcel volumes throughout 2023 is a result of general inflation
Swiss Post transported 185 million parcels and 1.64 billion letters for its customers in 2023, 4.7% less than in 2022 (194 million).
Swiss Post says although there has been a decline in volumes it is 24% more than in the reference year 2019, prior to the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, the long-term downward trend in letter mail continued in 2023, with mail carriers delivering 1,647 million addressed letters last year. That is 5.6 percent less than in 2022. Swiss Post expects parcel volumes to continue to rise in the medium and long term. In order to provide an efficient public service in the future, Swiss Post will continue to adapt with foresight to developments in the letter and parcel market and optimize its infrastructure.
The decline in parcel volumes throughout 2023 is a result of general inflation, continued subdued consumer confidence and the geopolitical situation. Despite this decline, parcel volumes remain high. Compared to 2019 – the year before the parcel boom intensified as a result of the coronavirus pandemic – Swiss Post transported 35 million or 24 percent more parcels last year.
Decline in letter volumes continues
Although the number of letters sent has been falling for years, Swiss Post mail carriers continued to process an impressive volume of addressed letters in 2023, with a total of 1,647 million across the year. This represents a 5.6 percent decline in letter mail year-on-year (2022: 1,745 million). Over the last 20 years, letter volumes have decreased by around 40 percent. Swiss Post has already taken action in response to this development. For example, in order to become more efficient in delivering parcels and, at the same time, secure jobs in the letter delivery teams, many mail carriers have also been delivering small parcels for a number of years.
“Adapting with foresight for a strong public service”
Today, Swiss Post customers send around 70 percent more parcels than 10 years ago. Based on this long-term trend, Swiss Post continues to expect significant growth in the parcel market. In order to remain prepared for this development and to provide a high-quality public service, Swiss Post also opened new facilities for sorting parcels in 2023 – with two regional parcel centers in Wallisellen (ZH) and Pratteln (BL) and the installation of a parcel sorting machine in the Härkingen (SO) letter center. It means that Swiss Post now sorts parcels at 13 locations throughout Switzerland.
Johannes Cramer, Head of Logistics Services and Member of Executive Management, is pleased with the progress of the expansion programme: “We have become more and more efficient in recent years and we sort what is produced regionally in the regions. We will continue to assess where optimization measures in our logistics network are necessary and possible.” Swiss Post is also dependent on global and national economic developments. However, the focus remains on customer needs.
Johannes Cramer explains: “On the one hand, our customers have an influence on parcel volumes. On the other, companies will have additional requirements in terms of posting locations and times at our logistics sites in the future. We are responding flexibly and adapting our resources and infrastructure with foresight. This capacity to adapt is fundamental to a forward-looking and strong public service”.
