Year: 2003

The boom days for express and courier companies serving Ireland have gone, leaving fierce competition for business within an industry swollen by players who came in during its heyday about two years ago. This has resulted in downward pressure on prices in both the domestic and international markets.

According to local operators, the main factors behind the slowdown, which has already seen some businesses go to the wall, are a decline in the Irish economy and the increasing use of e-mail and the internet in sectors such as public relations and printing. Until relatively recently, both these sectors were major users of courier and express services.