For a number of years, Finnish consumers have rated parcel deliveries as the most important postal service. Currently, some 80 per cent of all consumers consider it important. The results of a survey carried out by Itella show that, despite tough competition, Posti is overwhelmingly the most popular and most widely recommended parcel delivery company.
In total, Finnish consumers receive some 36 million parcel deliveries each year, with approximately 27 per cent of these originating abroad. Itella Posti delivers some 75 per cent of all parcels received by consumers. Posti's key strength is its nationwide network, comprising more than 1,300 service outlets, including the hugely popular Parcel Points.
Reliability matters
When it comes to choosing a delivery service and receiving parcel deliveries, consumers rated reliability as the most important factor, followed by the location of the collection point, user-friendliness and speed. According to the findings, Posti saw off competition in all these factors, scoring the highest marks for each.
Of the different parcel delivery services available in Finland, Posti's were by far the best known, most widely used and most attractive to consumers. Of all parcel delivery service users, 46 per cent use Posti services regularly. This is several times higher than the corresponding figure for other service providers. Posti is the first choice for 30 per cent of consumers. A third of Posti's customers would be willing to recommend the service to others (net promoter score), while competitors received a score of 7 per cent or lower.
"In the past couple of years, we have really worked hard to make our online services more user-friendly and increase the amount of consumer choice available. Being tuned into our customers' wishes and developing our service offering together with other online retailers is more important than ever before as online sales are increasing. We are currently in the process of developing services that will allow consumers to receive goods they have ordered online on the same day, explains Juha Tiittanen, Vice President, Parcel Services.
Consumer preferences have led to the introduction of a number of new features recently, including the smart messaging service, Parcel Points and parcel routing service. The launch of Parcel Points in particular has served to bolster Posti's position as a delivery service provider of choice for online retail.
According to the survey, customers who have used one of Posti's Parcel Points are significantly more likely to recommend the service than Posti's other parcel delivery customers. Parcel Points allow consumers to collect their parcels from 350 locations, including shops. Those using a home delivery service can use a smart messaging service to book the most suitable delivery time slot. In addition, online purchases are no longer automatically delivered to the nearest local post office. The Parcel Routing Service can be used to choose an alternative pickup point, including one closer to the recipient's place of work or holiday home.
Further information:
Itella MediaDesk tel: +358 (0)20 452 3366 (Monday to Friday 9am - 4.30pm)
Sources
Verkko-ostamisen vetovoima (The pull of online shopping). October 2013. Itella Research Series 34/2013
Kuluttajapaketit (Consumer parcels). December 2013. Itella Research Series 46/2013
Posti pakettibrändinä (Posti as a parcel delivery brand). Kuulas. December 10, 2013
Posti kuluttajien viestintäbrändinä 2014 (Posti as a consumer communications brand 2014). Itella Research Series 3/2014
