Lithuania Post buys parcel terminal operator Baltic Post
Lithuania Post has acquired the joint venture that operates its SIUNTOS24 network of automated self-service parcel terminals. Baltic Post, which was established by the state-owned postal operator along with its partner, the passenger transport company Kautra, runs a network of 60 parcel terminals in 35 Lithuanian cities and towns.
Lithuania Post said taking over the company would expand its activities and strengthen its positions in the parcels market ahead of the liberalisation of Lithuania’s postal market next year
Lina Minderienė, CEO of Lithuania Post, said: “The decision has been taken considering Lithuania Post’s aim to strengthen its position in the area of item delivery. With a possibility to manage both the instalment of terminals and delivery process we will ensure a higher quality of service level.”
Lithuania Post said running a network of parcel terminals could be “one of the most profitable and profitable postal services”.
The terminals, using technology from Austrian manufacturer KEBA, allow consumers to have items purchased from, for example, Internet retailers, delivered to a secure locker in their neighborhood to be picked up any time of the day or night.
SIUNTOS24
Lithuania Post and Kautra launched the LTL 18m ($7.25m USD) SIUNTOS24 network in October last year, offering parcel delivery to the self-service terminals for rates between LTL 7.99 and LTL 15.99 ($3.22-6.44 USD).
The terminals can also be used to send parcels, and around a fifth of parcels sent through the terminals are destined for foreign countries, particularly to Latvia, Estonia, Poland and Germany.
After taking control of Baltic Post, Lithuania Post said it plans to expand its network to add a further 11 terminals in nine areas.
Domas Sabaitis, previously manager in Lithuania Post’s postal operations division and now appointed as a new director of Baltic Post, said: “After the acquisition of the company Baltic Post, Lithuania Post will further expand the network of parcel terminals. In a short time we are going to install several new terminals and offer more flexible conditions for sending postal items both domestically and internationally.”
