DPD Germany bid to double market share by “making the parcel digital”
Parcel carrier DPD aims to double its share of the German business-to-consumer shipping market in the next four years by “making the parcel digital”. The company majority-owned by French postal operator La Poste Group via its Geopost subsidiary has just upgraded its services so that consumers can get a forecast of when their parcel will arrive to within 30 minutes on the morning of delivery.
DPD has also brought in technology similar to that launched by its UK sister company last year that allows real time tracking of parcels, so that consumers can follow progress of their parcel on an online map.
The company said its service is also flexible enough that consumers can redirect their parcel with a number of options right up until the scheduled delivery.
DPD said yesterday that it aims to take its share of the business-to-consumer market in Germany to 15% by 2018 with the new innovations.
Boris Winkelmann, the DPD chief executive in Germany, said the new service was an “important step” in the company achieving its growth targets.
He said: “The possibilities offered by our map-based live tracking system are unique on the German parcels market. With this facility, DPD is making the parcel digital, linking the online world of e-commerce with the off-line world of physical goods.”
Premium
DPD is aiming to capture the premium end of the German B2C parcel market with its new live tracking capabilities
Along with the new service upgrades, DPD is in the process of continuing to expand its move to make Saturdays a “normal delivery day”. Already offered in a number of German regions, this approach should be in place throughout Germany by May 2015, the company says.
DPD, which says it was the first parcel carrier in Germany to launch delivery notifications by text message or email in 2011, now delivers one in three of its parcels to householders.
Its main target for increasing its market share in the business-to-consumer delivery market is the premium end.
“We are focusing on all shippers who wish to offer their customers more than just the kind of standard parcel shipping they have been used to for many years now,” explained Winkelmann.
ASOS
One of the first retailers to make use of the new service in Germany has been the British online fashion retailer ASOS as it launches its shipping operations from Germany.
The high-growth company now makes more than 60% of its sales outside the UK and has recently been building up its fulfillment capabilities overseas, including development of new warehouse facilities in China, the US State of Ohio and in Central Europe.
Matt Rogers, the director of delivery solutions and inbound supply chain at ASOS, said the new delivery innovations were about making online shopping an “all-round experience”.
“Having offered our UK customers a 1 hour time window with their Express deliveries for some time we are delighted that this service has now been introduced by DPD for our German customers,” he said. “All of our German ASOS Premier customers and customers who select express shipping will benefit from this fantastic service.”
