ILR sees steady and sustained growth in postal services based on growing parcel traffic
In November, the Institut Luxembourgeois de Régulation (ILR) publishes the statistical report on postal services in Luxembourg. It shows that in 2021, parcel services are recording constant and sustained growth, while mail services are resisting the general downward trend with a slight decline compared to 2020. It should also be noted that an interactive table makes it possible to consult the statistical data since 2016.
the statistical report presents the market situation for postal services, courier services and parcel services, based on indicators such as turnover, volumes, jobs and quality of services provided. It relates to the evolution of the key figures of the postal services market for the year 2021 and their evolution since 2018. The document is based on the data communicated by 31 players active on the Luxembourg postal services market in 2021. The Institute notes six new service providers have applied for inclusion in the public register, one of them is among the top eight parcel service providers.
the turnover of the postal services market reached 192.10 million euros in 2021, a sharp increase of 4.5% compared to 2020. It is divided between the turnover of mail items amounting to 111.6 million euros (-1.4%) and parcel service revenues totaling 80.53 million euros (+14%). The portion of parcel service revenue increases to 41.9% of the postal sector total in 2021, up 10 points since 2018.
The Courier service represent 152.75 million units, down 1.8% compared to 2020. The annual rate -5% over the period 2018/2021 marks a continuous decline in mail traffic; it should be noted that this decline is less marked in 2021 compared to previous years. The designated universal service provider, Post Luxembourg, handles more than 95% of the total volume.
The parcel service total 15.36 million units, a significant increase of 13.8% compared to 2021. The growth of the parcel services market is mainly supported by the entering the market for cross-border services which recorded a clear increase with a volume of 12.31 million boxes (+11.8%). This trend, linked to the development of “B2C” e-commerce, is based on an annual rate of 15.6% over the period of 2018/2021. Parcel services are provided by 21 service providers, three of which each require a volume of more than 10% of the total volume.
the postal sector employee nearly 1,900 people, a level comparable to 2020. The designated provider of the universal postal service, POST Luxembourg employs nearly 1,300 people, or 69% of jobs in the sector.
Regarding access to postal services, 106 points of sale of Post Luxembourg and 88 of the other service providers are deployed in Luxembourg. The name of automatic distribution points of POST Luxembourg increases to 131 in 2021, i.e. 40 points more since 2018; this trend echoes the dynamism of parcel traffic.
Press release from the Luxembourg Regulatory Institute (ILR)