GLS adds Croatia and Serbia to its European network

GLS Group has added Croatia and Serbia to its European parcel network after entering partnership agreements with two regional companies. The operator has confirmed it has formed strategic alliances with ZUMEx in Croatia, and AKS Express Kurir in Serbia.

Both ZUMEx and AKS Express Kurir have been delivering parcels for GLS since April. As a part of the alliance, GLS has been offering deliveries for both companies across European destinations since June, as the partners branch out into international express services.

Germany, Italy and France are major trading partners of both Croatia and Serbia. The EU accounts for about 55% of trade in the two south-east European countries.

CEO Rico Back said that the two partners provide “valuable building blocks” in order for GLS to expand its presence in the region. He added: “To ensure that the packets of our customers reach their destination reliably and quickly, we have chosen strong regional partners.”

ZUMEx is one of the three largest express operators in Croatia, with five locations across the country, with plans in place to double that number within the near future.

AKS Express Kurir is the market leader for express shipments in Serbia. Its network consists of 20 distribution centres and a major hub.

The new partners aim to provide customers with their GLS parcels within 24 hours, except for deliveries to the Croatian islands, where they could take a little longer due to ferry timetables. ZUMEx will work alongside the GLS hub in Slovenia, whilst AKS Express Kurir will make use of the GLS locations in Hungary.

Through their strategic alliances with GLS, both companies are expecting growth. ZUMEx COO Marko Jankovic said the partnership will give his company “a strategic market advantage”. Meanwhile, Aleksandar Stanojevic, managing partner at AKS Express Kurir, stressed the importance of developing international connections: “Our customers look increasingly beyond the borders of Serbia and expect high-quality transport solutions for sending their packages abroad. Thanks to our collaboration with GLS, we can offer that quality across Europe.”

GLS said its staunch security measures will be upheld as it moves into the Croatian and Serbian markets. Track and trace, security scanning, and satellite tracking are all in operation, the company confirmed.