Polish Post slashes courier rates in bid for ecommerce business
Polish Post said today it is lowering prices at its Pocztex courier services by up to 50% as it chases the ecommerce delivery market. The company, which has a small share of the Polish courier market at present, said it has been mounting a big push this autumn to become one of the top five courier firms in Poland, and that developing its courier and express services is one of the top priorities of its strategy up to 2015.
Polish Post is also looking to introduce new services as it looks to attract big new business customers like major ecommerce merchants, including delivery by 8am, online shipment tracking features and text message notification.
Prices for Polish Post’s individual courier customers should drop by an average of 35%, the company said.
For heavier shipments, the price cut could even exceed 50% the company claimed. Shipments up to 30kg with a guaranteed next-day service will have rates reduced from PLN 110 to PLN 50.
“We’re offering customers an attractive offer with discounts that depend on the number of shipments they send,” said Janusz Wojtas, a member of Polish Post’s management board.
“Courier services for ecommerce is our priority – we want to actively participate in their dynamic growth. We will fight for each shipment.”
Polish Post said there was “a lot at stake” as the Polish ecommerce market was one of the most dynamically developing markets in industry, growing at about 10% a year, and that along with favourable domestic economic conditions for ecommerce, international shipments also have good prospects.
It said “cautious estimates” suggest that the courier market totals PLN 3-4bn, with ecommerce shipping representing PLN 1bn in value.
New services
Polish Post said introducing new services and features will see it as “the only firm in Poland” offering to deliver items before 8am in cities of 100,000 population or more.
It said for Internet merchants who require rapid delivery, it is offering a three-day service where the average delivery time in the Polish market is about six days.
“Our offer is transparent. Clients can use courier services, where Pocztex guarantees the delivery on a certain date and through the express service delivery on the next day,” said Sławomir Żurawski.
“Additional benefits for clients include the possibility to exchange data concerning shipments between the client’s system and the Polish Post system electronically. The Electronic Sender Application allows for a quick preparation of a shipment, printing an address label, and generating reports concerning shipments and their tracking.”
Polish Post started a publicity campaign on a “great scale” last month to highlight its price cut and enhanced courier services, hoping for a significant increase in customers, particularly ahead of Christmas.
Ecommerce and package delivery is seen as a particular growth area as Polish Post faces the increase of competition for its letters business from January, as Poland’s postal market is fully liberalised according to European postal regulations.
