Poczta Polska has a record year of Pick-up at the Point service
Poczta Polska handled over one million parcels through its Pick-Up Point network each month of 2019. One in three parcels delivered by the operator arrived there. This means that customers of the state-owned company received twice as many parcels through this network as a year earlier.
The number of parcels delivered by Poczta Polska using the Pick-Up Point option doubled in 2019. The high growth was particularly noticeable during the pre-holiday peak, when customers collected as many parcels at these points in the first two weeks of December as during the entire month of November. The company is seeing a steady increase in the popularity of parcel collection at Żabka stores and Orlen gas stations. Post offices also maintain their strong position.
Customers collect as many as 85% of parcels on the same day they arrive at the point. Increasingly, service usage is measured in seconds; for example, the average processing time for someone collecting a parcel at a Żabka store is just 35 seconds. These collection points are becoming increasingly popular among Poczta Polska customers, driven by the network's size and development. In December 2019, over 40% of collections at the point were made at Żabka stores.
on the website obiewpunktcie.poczta-polska.pl . This option is also available through online stores. This allows customers to specify where their purchases should be delivered. When ordering a parcel at a collection point, customers have seven days to collect the parcel; if they choose to collect it at a vending machine, they have two days. After the parcel is delivered to the collection point, Poczta Polska sends the customer a text message and an email.
The main advantage of the Pick-Up Point service is its flexibility. Customers decide when and where to pick up their shipment. They can do this while filling up their car, buying newspapers, or doing their daily shopping. The vast majority, nearly 75%, of these points are open late into the night, and some are open 24/7.
Vending machines as a supplement to Collection Points
Customers can even more easily pick up their parcels at a parcel machine. The Polish Post Office has 200 such machines located in designated areas of post offices, open 24 hours a day, and in Biedronka supermarkets.
The option of collecting a parcel from a self-service machine is the third most popular delivery method after courier delivery and personal collection. This data is confirmed by the Gemius 2018 "Ecommerce in Poland" report, which shows that the group of people actively shopping online falls within the age range of 15-49, with over half of them citing self-service machines as a delivery method that motivates them to shop online.
eCommerce is a determinant of change
According to Poczta Polska's report, "Development of the Courier, Express, and Parcel (CEP) Market in Poland 2014–2023," in 2018, CEP operators handled over 476 million parcels, which is 75% more than in 2014. The market was valued at PLN 6.95 billion (a 60% increase compared to 2014). It is forecasted that in 2023, CEP operators will handle nearly 850 million parcels, twice as many as in 2017. This represents a 78% increase compared to the previous year. The projected average annual growth rate for 2019–2023 will be 11%.
The increasingly widespread use of the internet has had a decisive impact on this dynamic development of the CEP market. According to data from the Central Statistical Office (GUS), in 2010, internet access in households was 63%, while in 2014, it had increased to 75%. In recent years, interest in e-shopping has been growing, with each transaction resulting in a new CEP shipment. Already common e-shopping options, such as electronics, clothing, books, and toys, have been supplemented with new items previously purchased in traditional stores. Poles are increasingly ordering medicines, food, and construction materials online.