Hermes and TNT poised to launch strategic cooperation
German parcels carrier Hermes Logistik Group and TNT Express are set to launch their strategic cooperation in Germany within the next few weeks. Hermes is also progressing on creating a European B2C delivery network and plans to start selling parcel transport to European destinations in September.
Announcing their strategic parcels alliance last December, the two companies said that they would cooperate in several areas of production, with TNT using Hermes’ domestic linehaul network and Hermes using TNT’s hub capacity and offering TNT express services through its network of 11,000 PaketShops.
Hermes managing director Hanjo Schneider told a German CEP conference in Bonn this week that TNT would start to transport domestic volumes on Hermes’ linehaul trucks from the end of April. The main TNT hub in Germany at Wiesbaden would be integrated into the Hermes network on June 1. The two companies had concluded after one year of discussions and analysis that there were synergies and advantages for both sides by cooperating in the production of express and parcel delivery, he noted.
On Hermes’ plans for European expansion, Schneider said the British parcels carrier Parcelnet and France’s Mondial would be integrated into the Hermes group. All three parcels firms are subsidiaries of Germany’s Otto group, which is one of Europe’s largest mail-order companies. “They give us a good opportunity to build the first European B2C network,” Schneider stated. Hermes is also in talks with other carriers, including TNT, about other markets, he added.
Hermes would start to sell European parcel deliveries through its Parcel Shop network in September, Schneider said. “We will have a very attractive product for Europe through our Parcel Shops.”
The European B2C market, with an estimated 1.5 billion shipments per year, essentially comprised Germany, the UK and France with about 70% of volumes, he pointed out. An overwhelming 90% of the market was domestic with the remainder, about 150 million shipments as cross-border items, he said.
