DHL has added two more countries to its European parcel network for cross-border e-commerce through partnerships with Ireland’s state-owned provider of postal services An Post and the private Romanian parcel service Urgent Cargus. In November, DHL will also include Croatia and Bulgaria into its parcel network. The foundation for this is two partnerships: one with Croatian postal service Hrvatska Posta and the other with Bulgarian parcel service Rapido.
The ongoing network expansion in cooperation with established local partners in the respective countries is in line with DHL’s strategy to continue its development in the European e-commerce market and offer customers the most extensive infrastructure possible. The clear goal is to establish a presence in all key European e-commerce markets by the end of 2018. “We believe in the European idea and we are aware that people in Europe are longing for community,” says Jürgen Gerdes, CEO Post – eCommerce – Parcel at Deutsche Post DHL Group. “The ‘United Shipping States of Europe’ are more than just a new logistics network. They contribute to creating a greater sense of community among European citizens.”
As a result of these new partnerships, DHL aims to promote long-term e-commerce growth in Croatia, Bulgaria, Ireland and Romania, in a targeted way and to tap into the resulting potential for cross-border commerce. To this end, DHL Parcel Connect has been defined as the service standard for cross-border B2C deliveries. In the future, online merchants will be able to receive the same delivery quality in these four countries as from DHL Parcel Europe. For example, delivery times for shipping and returns will be shortened due to Saturday deliveries and standardized processes. The four partners will also be introducing new services, such as notifying recipients of the expected delivery time for their orders and the option to request an alternative delivery date and location. A customer-friendly returns solution will also be introduced.
Source: Deutsche Post DHL Group
