Japan Post to launch new parcel delivery service in October
Japan Post plans to begin a 500 yen nationwide delivery service from October for parcels that weigh up to two kilograms, or the equivalent of about 200 sheets of A4 paper.
The new service will be an extension of a trial Japan Post has been conducting in three Tokyo wards and two Osaka wards since April.
Japan Post plans to apply to the Public Management Ministry at the end of September for approval to introduce the new service in mid-October.
The new service will bring Japan Post into direct competition with private delivery operators in a field where large demand is forecast. Japan Post hopes the service will become a central pillar of its postal business.
The trial service was warmly received by many clients, including mail-order operators who used it to deliver catalogs, and Japan Post was contracted to deliver more than 100,000 parcels as a result.
Japan Post’s move has intensified competition among private delivery operators. Yamato Transport Co. in April reduced the cost of sending A4-size documents weighing up to 50 grams to 80 yen and saw a large increase in the number of mail items it delivered.
In July, Fukuyama Transporting Co. began offering a flat rate of 400 yen for next-day delivery service across the country of items, such as company documents, weighing up to one kilogram.
According to one official, Japan Post hopes introducing the nationwide service will challenge private operators’ domination of mail delivery for small and medium-sized businesses and lead to greater profits.
