DPD Germany to roll out Saturday parcel delivery as standard

Parcel carrier DPD Germany is adding Saturday deliveries to its standard services from this autumn. The company said it has run successful tests, and will launch the service covering delivery to about 30% of the German population before gradually rolling the offering out to the rest of Germany in early 2015.

DPD said the “clear focus” for its expanded offering was delivery to private households.

The move underlines the company’s growth targets in the business-to-consumer market, building on the high levels of growth in the highly competitive German e-commerce delivery market.

Boris Winkelmann, the DPD Germany chief executive, said adding Saturday deliveries was about providing more flexible delivery options for parcel recipients as his company strives to double its market share to 15% of the German B2C market by 2018.

“For sustainable success in the business-to-consumer segment, Saturday delivery as a normal part of the service is an important prerequisite to attract many active shippers,” he said.

DPD Germany, majority-owned by La Poste Group’s GeoPost Group, has been trying out Saturday deliveries around its headquarters in Aschaffenburg and in the Greater Essen area. Winkelmann said the trials had shown that for many householders Saturdays are the most convenient days for receiving parcels.

The trials allow the company to coordinate its operations and arrange flexible working time models that mean the system can be successfully implemented throughout Germany, the DPD CEO said.

Plans are to launch the new service in major cities including Hamburg, Cologne, Nuremberg, Bremen and Dortmund at the beginning of autumn.

DPD’s UK sister company already offers Saturday deliveries, and is set to launch Sunday deliveries later this year.