With the achievement of 100,000* service points in Europe, DPD has reached another milestone in the expansion of its out-of-home network. The strong network growth recorded over the pas few years confirms the growing customers demand for service points and lockers, which are more flexible and sustainable than home deliveries.
Out-of-home on the rise
As highlighted in DPD’s E-shopper-barometer**, consumers are increasingly opting for out-of-home because of flexibility and sustainability. Delivery at service points and lockers have seen a steady increase and already accounts for 23% and 24% respectively of usual delivery locations. This is a fast-growing market and one in which DPD has significantly strengthened its presence over the last few years. DPD's out-of-home network included 20,000 service points in Europe in 2015. By 2021 there were 50,000 and by 2023 there were 100,000. In the Netherlands, DPD now has more than 1,850 service points and lockers and is aiming for 2,500 by 2024.
A strategic pillar for DPD
Out-of-home is a key pillar for DPD. The expansion and densification of the out-of-home network has recently made further progress thanks to new partnerships with, among others, the Polish retail chain Żabka (+ 9100 points), with the Post Office (+ 4000 points) in the UK, with the Esso service station networks (+ 200 lockers) and Louvre Hotels Group (+150 lockers) in France. The out-of-home network also continues to expand in the Netherlands, including lockers. DPD, in cooperation with De Buren, now has 200 lockers in the Netherlands. An important rule in Europe is that DPD uses a local approach to develop the network, in order to determine the right mix for service points and lockers based on cultural preferences. For example, 25% of Dutch regular e-shoppers prefer delivery at a service point, while the preference in the Baltic states is for a locker, at 83%.
Erik Uljee, CEO DPD Netherlands: "Proximity is a key lever for the success of delivery, and Out-of-Home is a strong pillar of DPD’s business strategy for tomorrow. Our teams in Europe are therefore actively committed to expanding the territorial anchorage. In this context, reaching the milestone of 100,000 Out-of-Home points is a great achievement. We are proud of the great work accomplished by our teams to pioneer in this market segment. Going forward, we intend to further develop our Out-of-Home delivery network around the world, while adapting to local preferences. The outlook for this activity is strong, whether for B2C or C2C solutions, a segment which has been growing fast recently, thanks to innovative products and solutions."
[*] 100.000 service points and lockers in Europe, inclusief 9,400 points in Scandinavia via Geopost’s partnership with PostNord
[**] DPD E-shopper-barometer: survey conducted every year to analyse behaviors and expectations of 25,000 e-shoppers in 22 European countries.
