The German postal services market generated revenues in 2004 of more than €23 billion. Some two thirds of the market is open to competition. Just under two thirds of these revenues is accounted for by Deutsche Post AG (DPAG), with the remaining third being split among a number of providers, most notably courier, express and parcel service providers.
Read MoreFew markets are harder to open than postal services. Slowly but surely, e-mail, regulation, competition and market fragmentation are forcing national operators to rethink their models. Europe’s pace is about to quicken. Denmark will soon announce the winner of a 25 per cent stake in Post Danmark, with Dutch TPG and Germany’s Deutsche Post among contenders. Belgium wants a minority partner to modernise its service: TPG and France’s La Poste are rumoured to be considering bidding jointly. Cross-border consolidation so far has been held back by slow liberalisation and national sensitivity. Austria balked last year at partial privatisation for fear its service would land in German hands. Change has to come. Under EU pressure, the legally permissible monopoly on letters dropped from 350 to 100 grams in 2003 and falls to 50 next year. Markets are supposed to be open completely by 2009, though several may not be ready.
Read MoreDeutsche Post is facing a demand by the country’s antitrust authority that it open up its own network to rival operators in the area of pre-delivery services for letters weighing under 100g. These include as collection and pre-sorting, among other activities. The authority has also demanded that the postal operator allow discounts to rivals in this area. Until now, it has allowed discounts only to large customers. Deutsche Post is planning legal action against the decision in the hope of delaying the change until the ending of its monopoly on letters in 2008.
Read MoreGerman postal and logistics group Deutsche Post AG is considering to make an official bid to acquire a stake in Belgium’s 100 pct state-owned postal services company Post, Deutsche Post said on February 14, 2005. The Belgian Post has asked interested parties to submit their bids by the end of February 2005. Deutsche Post is currently considering the alternative whether to make a binding offer for the stake, Deutsche Post spokesman Dirk Klasen said.
Read MoreDeutsche Post World Net AG expects its mail operations monopoly will face ‘completely noticeable competition’ only by 2007 at the earliest, a company spokesman said in reaction to the decision of the German Cartel Office to demand an end to its monopoly on letters weighing less than 100 grams. He said before this time, one could not expect that competitors would be able to use ‘the possibilities in all its latitude’ within its network. The Cartel Office today said Deutsche Post must open up its monopoly on the collection and sorting of letters weighing below 100 grams.
Read More
Post & Parcel Magazine is our print publication, released 3 times a year. Packed with original content and thought-provoking features, Post & Parcel Magazine is a must-read for those who want the inside track on the industry.
