Deutsche Post faces German parcel rival
Mail order company Hermes Versand, part of German mail order giant Otto Versand, is entering the private parcel delivery market and taking on Deutsche Post.
The move comes as Deutsche Post joins forces with rival mail order conglomerate KarstadtQuelle to offer a mail service from within Quelle retail outlets.
Quelle is already one of Deutsche Post’s main customers, accounting for 300 million mailing deliveries, and 40 million parcel deliveries a year.
By contrast, Hermes Versand has largely served other companies within the Otto group, and business customers. By the end of the month, it expects to open 8,000 branches in Germany.
Meanwhile, KarstadtQuelle is planning to develop 20 shopping centres in city locations in Germany over the next ten years.
It is also developing third-party projects with Munich Re, the world’s biggest reinsurer (PM March 22, 2002), to provide products and services through its retail channels.
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