Today’s headline story: DHL and Cainiao team up to take on InPost in Poland
DHL and Cainiao Network have signed an agreement that will see 60 million euros invested in developing one of Poland’s largest out-of-home delivery networks.
The deal involves DHL eCommerce Solutions, the e-commerce logistics specialist of Deutsche Post DHL Group, and Cainiao Network, the logistics arm of Alibaba Group.
The agreement entails DHL purchasing part of the equity securities of Cainiao’s subsidiary in Poland.
In a press release, DHL said the partnership aims to improve the quality and speed of Poland’s out-of-home delivery.
In the first phase following the transaction, the two companies plan to invest 60 million euros to install parcel lockers across the country, with the aspiration of forming one of Poland’s largest access point networks.
“Poland is one of the fastest growing e-commerce markets in Europe, expected to double by 2027, and up to 40% of consumers prefer to have shipments delivered to parcel lockers. By joining forces with Cainiao, we will strengthen our position as a trusted parcel provider and create an extensive network of state-of-the-art parcel lockers. In this way, we can provide our customers with an even greater shipping experience, on top of our existing to-door delivery options” says Pablo Ciano, CEO of DHL eCommerce Solutions.
To start, both partners say they will merge their existing parcel locker networks, so that consumers get “immediate and seamless” access to the offerings of DHL and Cainiao.
The two companies state they already operate a total of 1,200 parcel lockers in Poland.
The ultimate ambition, say both parties, is to build Poland’s leading parcel locker network, which would have over 90,000 access points.
Cainiao adds that in recent years, it has been setting up regional hubs in Liege and sorting centers in European markets. This, argues Cainiao, is further complemented by a network of parcel lockers in Poland, Spain, and France.
“As we tap into the great potential of Europe’s ecommerce market, Cainiao strives to contribute to the growth of a sustainable logistics ecosystem by deepening our cooperation with our local partners. We are glad to have found such a strong and well-established partner in DHL, who shares our vision. By combining both companies’ logistics, technology, and e-commerce expertise, we aspire to deliver superior service to our clients and create an unmatched online shopping experience for consumers.” states William Xiong, Chief Strategy Officer and General Manager of Europe and SEA regions at Cainiao Network.
The transaction is subject to merger control clearance in jurisdictions of certain countries. Such approvals are expected in the coming months, says DHL.
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Call to action – Out of Home delivery in Europe 2023 report
The Last Mile Experts team, together with partner Analysys Mason, invite you to participate in a project aimed at presenting the latest information on European OOH networks – PUDO points and APMs.
The goal of the third edition of our Out of Home delivery in Europe report is to present data on the development of PUDO and APM networks supporting an environmentally friendly methods of last mile delivery. Since the first edition of our report in 2021, many European (EU & UK) carriers and operators have shared information with us about the number of PUDO and APM points.
However, there is a sizable group that has not provided us with data until now, and those we have presented have come from available press materials, interviews and website information. Every year there are also new networks that are just entering the OOH delivery business. So we invite everyone who has not yet submitted their data to participate (for free) in our project this year.
You can get more information and an simplified application form by writing to info@lmexpert.com. We are collecting data for the report up to and including February 17, 2023.
For those who have not yet had the opportunity to read the previous editions of the reports, you can do so here and become acquainted with its concept and what it strives to achieve. You can also find more information via Linkedin.
Thank you from Last Mile Experts and the Analysys Mason team.
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