PostNL sees surge in online delivery and greeting cards
Impact of corona measures
The Hague, the Netherlands, 25 March 2020 – Government measures to address the coronavirus have led to a surge in online orders in the Netherlands and Belgium. Because of the large number of orders, the impact of corona measures such as social distancing, non-contact delivery and higher numbers of staff unable to work due to illness, there may be some delays in parcel deliveries at the local level. Mail deliveries are running as scheduled. People are sending lots of cards to keep each other’s spirits up in these difficult times.
Herna Verhagen, PostNL’s CEO, said: “The simple fact that we’ve managed to continue our mail and parcel deliveries – and so enable people to stay at home – is a huge tribute to everyone working for and with us. Of course, I’m talking about our postmen and women hitting the streets and delivering mail and parcels everywhere, but also about every single one of our people helping to make it all happen: those sorting, preparing, processing and transporting, and everyone else playing their part in this logistics operation. I’m very proud of and have tremendous respect for our people, whose sheer dedication and commitment are making it possible for us to continue to deliver post and parcels. We would ask everyone out there to give them plenty of space, and so enable them to do their jobs safely.”
The Netherlands and Belgium at home: more online deliveries
With people staying at home and bricks-and-mortar shops closing their doors, online orders have been on a steep upward trend, with the convenience of online shopping changing into a necessity to buy supplies from web shops. PostNL is doing everything in its power to continue to deliver on time as much as possible, but the sheer volume of business, corona measures and staff shortages because of illness may cause delays at local level. For more information, check Track&Trace and the PostNL website.
Post and parcel deliveries provide a vital service to society
Earlier, PostNL announced that it will continue to deliver post and parcels where and when it can, as this will help people observe government guidelines and stay at home as much as is practicable. It also helps the elderly and vulnerable groups in our communities to stay in touch with their loved ones. And companies can reach their customers, keeping social interaction going. All of this, of course, on condition that PostNL’s people are able continue to do their work safely and in good health, and that all the RIVM guidelines can be observed (RIVM is the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment).
About PostNL
We are PostNL, here for everyone, bringing it all together for 225 years. With an extensive network of nearly 5,800 PostNL points, 11,000 letterboxes, and over 900 automated, also open to various carriers, along with millions of users of the PostNL app, we're always close by. We aim to be everyone's favourite deliverer by making it as easy as possible to send and receive parcels and mail. With nearly 34,000 colleagues working with us, we are part of society. We offer a range of services, including mail and parcel delivery, logistic e-commerce solutions, and cross-border solutions. On an average weekday in the Benelux, we deliver 1.1 million parcels and 6.9 million letters. We are commitment to customer satisfaction, providing opportunities for our employees, and generating value for our stakeholders through growth, digitalisation, and sustainability.
We optimise and support our physical networks through the use of smart digital solutions and introduce new propositions that add value for our customers. And aim for sustainable employment relationships by being a good employer to all people working with and for us. We focus on sustainability, making many journeys on foot and by bicycle, increasingly using cleaner fuels and electric vehicles, and offering innovative city logistics. PostNL N.V. is a publicly traded company with a turnover of €3.2 billion in 2023, 62% of which e-commerce related.