Swiss post office: evening parcel deliveries tested

The Swiss post office has launched household deliveries of parcels in the evening on a trial basis in Geneva. The postal service has been delivering packages between 5 and 8 p.m. “The post office is adapting to the change in (people’s) habits,” spokeswoman Nathalie Salamin told Television Suisse Romande.

More and more people are away at work or engaged in other activities when deliveries are made to homes in the morning. This result in parcels having to be transported back to depots and customers are forced to pick them up at a later date. This coming-and-going ends up causing the post office more work. By delivering in the evening, the expectation is that more people will be at home to receive parcels.

There may be environmental benefits too, with vehicles driving less. The Geneva trial project will run for four weeks and the results will analyzed before any final decision is made. It may be that 5 p.m. is still too early for many people who work until 6 p.m. or later. Salamin admitted that the delivery schedule may need to be fine-tuned.