For Swiss Post, providing an excellent basic service and maintaining a dense, nationwide network of access points are key concerns. A dense network involves not only costs but also has an entrepreneurial value. Swiss Post will have to adapt its network to the new requirements in future too. It is therefore reviewing which post offices will continue to operate in their current form and which should be converted into alternative formats such as agencies or home-delivery services. Swiss Post is not seeking to close post offices. Swiss Post will conduct this process very carefully, in accordance with clear criteria and in dialogue with all parties involved, including the municipalities. If it is not possible to reach agreement in a specific case, the municipalities are free to consult the independent Post Offices Commission. Swiss Post undertakes to adhere to the recommendations of the Commission. It regrets the fact that incorrect lists of post offices whose survival is allegedly threatened were published. In order to counter the speculation and uncertainty that has resulted, Swiss Post has further clarified how it intends to review the status of post offices and has decided which post offices it will analyse by 2011, based on the current situation. Swiss Post is also making its agencies more attractive. They will accept ec and Maestro cards in the medium term, and the public will be able to handle all payment transactions at the “post office in the village shop”. If agency partners are obliged to close their premises, Swiss Post will look for new solutions.

Swiss Post will continue to provide a high-quality basic service and maintain its dense, nationwide network of access points. This public service is guaranteed via the 2,380 access points (of which 2,154 are post offices and 226 are postal agencies) and the 1,123 home-delivery services. (as at 1 April 2009)

Postal agencies upgraded

The postal agencies will be upgraded substantially. They will accept debit cards from other providers such as ec and Maestro as well for payments in the medium term. The public will be able to handle all payment transactions at the “post office in the village shop”. This will be possible when the new card terminals are rolled out as of the first quarter of 2010. Partners of the “post office in the village shop” such as the Volg shops or local bakeries will offer customers the option of making deposits with a Maestro or ec card too. Customers in Switzerland will then be able to use 4.8 million debit cards as well as the 2.5 million PostFinance Cards currently in circulation.

Agencies well received

Agencies are already very popular, thanks to the long opening hours and combination of postal services with other business. The decision to accept non-postal debit cards at agencies will make the “post office in the village shop” even more customer-friendly. An agency gives Swiss Post a local presence, offers customers long opening times, simple procedures and a combination of postal services with the partner’s business at a single location.

Swiss Post must adapt its sales network to the new requirements in future too in order to gear its services to changing customer behaviour and become more profitable. It is experiencing a significant decline in its core business at the post office counters. From 2000 to 2008 the volume of letters and parcels decreased by 46% and payments were down by 17%. Developing the post office network is an ongoing task that is set out in postal legislation and defined by the Federal Council. Swiss Post is aware that people identify with their post office.

Around 420 decisions pending

As at 1 April 2009, Swiss Post was operating 2,380 access points (including 2,154 post offices and 226 agencies) and 1,123 home-delivery services. These include the alternative sales formats reviewed and implemented during the current year. Around 420 locations will be reviewed by the end of 2011. At the moment there are plans to review around 100 locations this year, some 160 in 2010 and the same in 2011. Swiss Post is very interested in examining each location individually, with great care and in a dialogue with all parties involved. The focus is not on the number of individual sales formats in each canton but rather on clear criteria such as customer frequency, catchment area, opening hours, services used, alternative access points, accessibility on foot or by public transport, volume trends, demographic trends, possibilities for cooperation in the village.

Swiss Post is publishing a list of the locations in question

Swiss Post regrets the fact that incorrect lists of post offices whose status is allegedly to be reviewed were published. In order to counter the speculation and uncertainty that has resulted, Swiss Post has further clarified how it intends to review the status of post offices and has decided which post offices it will analyse by 2011. These locations are published on the Internet at www.post.ch/standortliste. Swiss Post is thus correcting the incorrect information. In future the list will be updated quarterly in line with the latest developments.

Swiss Post to accept decisions of the Post Offices Commission

Any decisions made by Swiss Post regarding the solutions for a particular location are always taken in a dialogue with all parties involved and with the municipalities. If it is not possible to reach agreement in a specific case, the municipality is free to consult the Post Offices Commission. From now on, Swiss Post will accept all recommendations of the Commission for the post offices to be reviewed over the next three years.

A dense network with value

Guaranteeing an excellent basic service and a dense, nationwide network of access points is a key concern for Swiss Post. If any agency partners are obliged to close their premises, Swiss Post will undertake to repeat the entire evaluation and consultation process in order to find a solution.