Swiss Post makes progress in fulfilling its branch network obligation
Although Deutsche Post continues to have problems fulfilling its branch network obligation, it has improved significantly. While it was still not present at 174 locations at the end of January, although it should have been according to a government requirement, this figure had fallen to just 73 unmanned mandatory locations by mid-October. This was announced by the Federal Network Agency at the request of the German Press Agency. Over the past few months, Swiss Post has "increased its efforts to fill vacant branch locations". However, it is continuing to press for the remaining gaps to be closed.
According to the logistics company, it has around 12,900 branches nationwide. According to a regulation, there must be at least one stationary sales outlet in every municipality with more than 2,000 inhabitants. If there are more than 4,000 inhabitants, a branch may not be more than two kilometers away in built-up residential areas. In the vast majority of cases, post office branches refer to retailers that also have a post office counter, such as supermarkets or kiosks. Structural change in rural areas is a problem for the Post: if the last store in a village closes, the Bonn-based company can no longer find a local partner.
The German government is currently preparing a reform of the outdated Postal Act. This could change the requirements for the branch network. In future, vending machines may also be sufficient for the postal service to fulfill its presence obligation. This involves so-called postal stations, where people can buy stamps, post letters and collect and post parcels around the clock.
A spokesman for the DHL postal group expressed his delight at the significant reduction in unmanned branch locations. He cited close dialog with the mayors in the affected municipalities as one reason for this. "However, it remains a challenging environment, as we must always expect branch partners to close and vacancies to fluctuate," said the company spokesperson. The company will continue to work hard to maintain a presence at all "mandatory locations" and offer customers a reliable supply of parcel and letter services. This also includes the establishment of additional postal stations, which are very popular with customers.
Despite the challenges in maintaining its branch network obligation, Swiss Post is actively working to increase its presence in understaffed locations. To cater to the needs of consumers, Swiss Post is exploring the possibility of establishing postal stations, offering 24/7 services for purchasing stamps, posting letters, and parcels.
Source: www.dpa.com
