Parcels were key driver of global postal growth in 2019

Parcel deliveries were the key driver of growth in the global postal industry in 2019, according to a report by the International Post Corporation (IPC).

Post grew 4.2% globally last year despite a decline in mail volume, mainly due to the rise of e-commerce—that is, people buying and selling online, including across international borders.

“Postal industry revenue is showing solid growth, notwithstanding ongoing traditional mail decline and many other market challenges,” said Holger Winklbauer, CEO of IPC.

“Many of the posts analyzed reported year-on-year growth, mainly driven by e-commerce. Posts continue to work on increasing network capacity and efficiency in order to respond to higher parcel volumes, both domestically and internationally.”

Winklbauer also noted that postal companies have made increased diversification efforts to offer more services than traditional mail, with logistics and financial services also boosting growth.

IPC's report took into account more than 50 postal operators around the world.

Source: Parcel and Postal Technology International

Header image: Laura Stanley