Parcel delivery prices in Poland have remained consistently lower than those in other European countries, according to Rafał Nawłoka, CEO of the Polish subsidiary of delivery firm DPD.
Intense competition has kept the average net revenue for courier deliveries stable at around PLN 11 (EUR 2.60, USD 2.85) per package, despite high inflation and rising labor costs, Nawłoka said.
The pressure to keep prices low has been a long-standing feature of the Polish market, as detailed in the 2023 Postal Market Status Report by the Office of Electronic Communications (UKE), which highlighted a significant 42.2 percent increase in self-service parcel terminals in Poland in 2023, with 11,350 new installations.
Despite the competitive market, most operators are hesitant to commit to maintaining current price levels.
"It's very hard to plan as we don't know exactly what costs we will face next year," Nawłoka told Polish state news agency PAP.
He added that the presence of all major international players across the country makes Poland's market uniquely competitive.
In response to growing logistics costs, Allegro, Poland’s leading e-commerce platform, has introduced its Allegro Delivery program.
Jakub Kłoczewiak, Chief Operating Officer at Allegro, said that the company will not adjust its shipping prices through the end of 2024.
Allegro Delivery allows customers to access a combined network of 18,000 pickup points, both parcel terminals and service points.
Kłoczewiak highlighted Allegro's initiative to foster collaboration rather than competition in the market.
"We’re inviting all our partners — InPost, DHL, DPD, and others — to join Allegro Delivery. It's not just a business move but a signal to the market,” he said.
While DPD contemplates joining Allegro Delivery, Nawłoka said the operational challenges in managing space in parcel terminals shared by multiple operators.
InPost and Orlen are focusing on expanding their networks and exploring strategic partnerships to further develop their logistics services.
InPost remains the market leader with over 22,000 parcel terminals nationwide, although, according to a report by Colliers, its market share has declined from 92 percent to 57 percent over two years, with significant numbers of parcel lockers being added by the main competitors DPD and the state-owned Orlen Paczka.
The Orlen press office has stated that currently no binding decisions have been made regarding this area of business.
"Further development of these areas in the Orlen Group would require significant financial outlays, therefore various scenarios are being analyzed," it said.
"It cannot be ruled out that Orlen will be looking for partners to develop this business," the press office added.
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP, bankier.pl