DHL: We want to grow faster and more profitably while decarbonizing our business

DHL Group has unveiled its strategic framework for the second half of this decade. With “Strategy 2030 – Accelerating Sustainable Growth”, the company is aiming for sales growth of 50 percent by 2030 compared to 2023.

DHL Group intends to unleash its full growth potential through divisional and Group-wide growth initiatives. The divisions will support the Group’s growth by focusing on excellent service quality in their profitable core businesses. In addition, the Group will support sustainable growth through targeted initiatives focused on fast-growing regions and industries as well as the e-commerce megatrend. DHL Group will also improve the customer experience at digital touchpoints. With its Strategy 2030, the company is also reaffirming its commitment to decarbonization. At the same time, DHL Group plans to modernize its legal structure in order to align it with the management structure and ensure a lean divisional structure.

“Thanks to our balanced and diversified portfolio, we are ideally positioned to take advantage of growth opportunities in a rapidly changing world. We want to grow faster and more profitably while decarbonizing our business. We will strengthen our leading position in global logistics by focusing on quality and on the needs of fast-growing industries.”

Tobias Meyer, CEO of Der Dhal Group

“Strategy 2025” led DHL Group through turbulent times

Over the past five years, the “Strategy 2025 – Delivering Excellence in a Digital World” has effectively guided DHL Group through global challenges such as the pandemic, supply chain disruptions and geopolitical tensions. The Group has made significant progress in its three established target dimensions of employer, provider and investment of choice, as well as in the sustainability roadmap introduced in 2021.

Fast-growing industries and regions, as well as e-commerce and digitalization, are expected to accelerate growth

In a complex and volatile environment, the logistics sector is also changing. Geopolitical tensions are affecting global trade and companies are actively working to make their supply chains more resilient. In addition, the fight against climate change and demographic changes in the workforce increase complexity. Although these changes bring new challenges, DHL Group’s experience and global presence put it in a unique position to take advantage of significant opportunities for further growth. DHL Group intends to leverage its strengths to accelerate Group growth in addition to the strategies of its five divisions through the following Group-wide initiatives:

Life Sciences & Healthcare

DHL Group is well positioned to respond to structural changes in the pharmaceutical market, which relies on specialized logistics solutions such as temperature-controlled frozen or cryogenic storage. The market for biopharma, cell and gene therapies, and clinical trials is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (Compound Annual Growth Rate; CAGR), significantly outpacing global GDP growth.

New energies

The switch to renewable energies and the transformation of the automotive sector require special logistics solutions, e.g. the handling of wind turbine blades or battery storage systems. An expected market growth of more than 15 percent CAGR annually between 2023 and 2030 offers DHL Group significant growth potential.

Geographical focus on growth regions

Building on its strong global presence and local expertise, DHL Group will focus on fast-growing regions. In doing so, the Group is taking advantage of opportunities arising from the profound changes in the growth of trade flows – but also opportunities offered by diversified global supply chains and the demands of fast-growing companies worldwide.

E-Commerce

The megatrend of e-commerce has been a steady growth driver for DHL Group in recent years. The company will expand its presence in the e-commerce market by combining the strengths of its divisions for integrated offerings, such as combined fulfillment and last-mile delivery. The global e-commerce market is expected to grow at a CAGR of seven percent annually through 2030.

Digital Sales

DHL Group expects digital sales channels to become the standard for attracting and retaining customers. Therefore, the Group will continue to expand its digital sales program to create improved online transactions for customers across the Group.

Sustainability: Integration of “Green Logistics of First Choice” into the Group’s strategic framework

As a global logistics company, DHL Group aims to fully decarbonize its operations by 2050. For this reason, DHL Group is integrating sustainability even more strongly into its strategy by establishing “Green logistics of first choice” as the fourth target dimension. The company will use its expertise to help customers decarbonize their supply chains, gaining market share in this evolving market. Corresponding initiatives include strategic partnerships and more intensive decarbonization measures to secure a 30% share of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by 2030, among other things.

“We are proud to have the largest electric vehicle fleet in the logistics industry and to have achieved the highest SAF share of any airline worldwide in 2023. Investments in low-emission logistics that anticipate future market demand will pay off as a competitive advantage as these transport solutions become increasingly important for our customers.”

Tobias Meyer, CEO of Der Dhal Group

To reduce complexity and support its growth agenda, DHL Group will align its complex legal structure with its proven management structure. While the management structure of the company with its five divisions – Express, Global Forwarding/Freight, Supply Chain, eCommerce and Post & Parcel Germany – is simple and clear, the underlying legal structure of the group is much more complex and partly overlapping. The adaptation is intended to reduce this complexity and create a more flexible and agile structure.

The simplification includes the establishment of Post & Parcel Germany and eCommerce as independent companies – comparable to the other companies. The name Deutsche Post AG will continue to be used for the activities of Post & Parcel Germany. This technical measure is not intended to lead to any changes in the content of the Group’s portfolio, collective bargaining agreements and protection agreements, management responsibilities or other legal obligations. The implementation will take about one to two years.