DHL expands its European parcel network to include four additional countries

September 5, 2017: DHL Parcel has added four more countries to its European parcel network. The logistics specialist has added Ireland and Romania to its European parcel network for cross-border e-commerce through partnerships with Ireland's state-owned provider of postal services An Post and the private Romanian parcel service Urgent Cargus.

In November, DHL will also include Croatia and Bulgaria into its parcel network. The foundation for this is two partnerships: one with Croatian postal service Hrvatska Posta and the other with Bulgarian parcel service Rapido.

The ongoing network expansion in cooperation with established local partners in the respective countries is in line with DHL's strategy to continue its development in the European e-commerce market and offer customers the most extensive infrastructure possible. The clear goal is to establish a presence in all key European e-commerce markets by the end of 2018. "We believe in the European idea and we are aware that people in Europe are longing for community," says Jürgen Gerdes, CEO Post - eCommerce - Parcel at Deutsche Post DHL Group. "The 'United Shipping States of Europe' are more than just a new logistics network. They contribute to creating a greater sense of community among European citizens."

Today, around six billion e-commerce parcels are shipped within Europe per year, with Germany, France and the UK being the largest e-commerce markets. And even if the industry is booming overall, the full potential is far from exhausted in the area of cross-border e-commerce. According to Eurostat, 55 percent of Internet users in Europe already shop online, but only 32 percent of them also do so outside of their country.

As a result of these new partnerships, DHL aims to promote long-term e-commerce growth in Croatia, Bulgaria, Ireland and Romania, in a targeted way and to tap into the resulting potential for cross-border commerce.

In the course of just three years and following the successful integration of the UK, Spain, Portugal and Russia in early 2017, DHL Parcel Europe's network now encompasses 26 European countries with the latest expansion along with the domestic market in Germany. The network also includes the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Sweden, France, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Slovenia and now Ireland, Romania, Croatia and Bulgaria.