Deutsche Post is apparently planning a radical change. According to media reports, the universal service could disappear in the foreseeable future. The state should then take them back. FOCUS online says what that means in concrete terms.
Consumers could face difficult times when it comes to letter delivery.
At least if information from “Die Welt” is confirmed. Regular postal distribution would be further reduced in rural areas. Households then only get visits from delivery people four or five times a week.
If Swiss Post completely or only partially withdraws from the universal service obligation, it is up to the Federal Network Agency. It would then oblige Swiss Post to maintain letter delivery for a transitional phase. However, Swiss Post would receive a high compensation payment for this.
As “Die Welt” reports, the letter delivery would then be advertised on the basis of this compensation payment. Companies can apply. The contract is then awarded to the company that takes care of the letter delivery at the lowest price.
The problem, however, is that the post office could possibly only get rid of delivery in the countryside. In the big cities, she remains the main deliverer. This creates a patchwork quilt in Germany.
Letter delivery in the cities is faster, in the countryside it takes longer.
It will then also be more expensive for consumers. Because the compensation payment is passed on to the customers.
The company itself has not yet commented on the “World” report. A few weeks ago, however, the group announced that it would continue to invest in the future of its mail and parcel business and the conversion to an ecologically sustainable and thus climate-neutral universal postal service.
However, a 420 million euro investment in “green delivery centers” was stopped after a meeting with the Federal Network Agency. According to the “Welt”, it should also have been about a possible exit from letter delivery. The group is silent about the background.
The fact is that the mail business is no longer lucrative for Swiss Post. According to internal evaluations, consumers send two to five percent fewer letters every year.
In addition to Deutsche Post, there are many regional private providers. These include BW Post, CitiPost, RPV Briefservice, Post Modern, LVZ Post, Mittelhessen Mail, LMF Postservice, Saarriva, Brief und mehr, biberpost, Nordbrief, PinMail and others.
You would now have the best chance of taking over the letter delivery, especially in the countryside.
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