InPost expands parcel terminals to Lithuania

InPost, the Polish company that specialises in providing and operating automated parcel collection and delivery terminals, is expanding into Lithuania. The move comes as part of a general strategy of expansion in central and eastern Europe, and is taking place in partnership with Estonian Post (Eesti Post), which which InPost has already established 38 parcel terminals in Estonia.

InPost’s “easyPack” parcel terminals are automated kiosks that include a bank of lockers in which parcels can be left for consumers to pick up, or mail carriers to collect. The terminals can accept parcels 24 hours a day, allowing workers to access online purchases outside normal delivery hours.

The arrangement with Estonian Post will see InPost designing, producing and installing 35 of the its machines in Lithuania, with the first expected to be deployed at the beginning of 2012.

Rafal Brzoska, the InPost chief executive, said his company was anticipating a “surge” of growth in ecommerce within Lithuania, despite the fact that only 8% of the population currently engages in internet shopping, compared to 13% of Estonians and 20% of Poles.

“We are taking the decision to introduce the easyPack by InPost service to these countries as soon as possible,” he said. “We assume that the popularity of e-shopping – both in Estonia and Lithuania – should increase continuously during the next 3-4 years by approximately 13-18%.”

Brzoska added that getting the parcel machines into Lithuania early would help with the difficult task of educating consumers about the new form of sending and receiving parcels.

Growth strategy

InPost, part of Integer.pl Group, is in the process of expanding its network of parcel terminals in Poland to 600 by the end of this year.

It is also in the process of establishing parcel terminals in Russia, Spain, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia and Chile, under a EUR 350m strategy aiming to install 16,000 easyPack machines throughout Europe within four years.

The plan will see 3,500 new machines deployed in 2012, 4,500 in 2013, 4,500 in 2014 and 3,500 in 2015.

InPost believes its international revenues should grow to about EUR 20-40m per year by 2013.

The company is operating outside its home country by working with local partners, including Estonian Post in the Baltic countries, Saudi Post in Saudi Arabia, Cyprus Postal Services in Cyprus, and iTech in Russia.

“We simply want to be a world leader in terms of availability and range of these devices used for posting and collecting shipments,” said Brzoska. “We believe that this dynamic and ambitious expansion will allow us to achieve a dominant position in the next four years.”