Press releases
Swiss Post delivers letters and parcels with exceptional reliability
Swiss Post has once again exceeded the requirements of postal legislation: for letter mail, almost 98 percent of A Mail letters and 99 percent of B Mail letters arrived on time. As for parcel mail, 96 percent of PostPac Priority consignments were delivered punctually and, for PostPac Economy consignments, the figure was just under 98 percent.
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In the past year, Swiss Post processed and delivered around 130 million parcels. That was 6 percent more than in 2016. Nevertheless, delivery quality remained high: 96 percent of PostPac Priority parcels and 97.5 percent of PostPac Economy parcels arrived on schedule. This strong growth came from online retail.
Swiss Post recognized the growing trend in parcel volumes from an early stage and has introduced measures to ensure the continually increasing volumes can still be delivered on schedule in future: in addition to constantly optimizing its internal processing procedures, Swiss Post is constructing three new regional parcel centers in Cadenazzo (Canton of Ticino), Untervaz (Canton of Graubünden) and Vétroz (Canton of Valais) which are due for completion by 2020.
Punctual delivery of dwindling letter volumes
In the past year, Swiss Post processed more than two billion addressed letters, but this was 4.2 percent lower than in 2016. The decline in volumes compared to the previous year (-3.8 percent) and the long-term average (1-2 percent) was thus once again reinforced. Within this area, too, Swiss Post deliveries were extremely reliable and punctual. The achieved values, like those of the previous year, attained a new level: in 2017, 97.6 percent of A Mail letters were delivered on time, and for B Mail letters, the figure was 99 percent.
Requirements once again exceeded
The reliability of letter and parcel deliveries exceeds the requirements of the Ordinance on the Postal Services Act, which stipulates that Swiss Post must deliver 97 percent of letters and 95 percent of parcels on schedule within Switzerland. Taking a look beyond our borders indicates that Swiss standards are the highest in Europe. With its good results, Swiss Post has long been an international leader in terms of on-time delivery.
Targets met in a difficult environment
In spite of a rapidly changing and dynamic environment, postal deliveries achieved a high level of punctuality. While letter volumes continued to decrease, parcel volumes saw strong and above-average growth in the past year. A transformation in customer needs can also be seen, which ties in closely with online retail: customers want to order today and, preferably, receive their goods tomorrow. Today, Priority parcels account for more than half of all domestic parcels.
Scientific, independent measurements
For delivery time measurements concerning domestic letters, some 90,000 text letters are sent every year. These measurements are conducted by the independent market research institute GfK Switzerland AG in accordance with European standards. Parcel delivery times are measured using a scientifically recognized sampling procedure and includes about 2,400 test consignments. Another independent company, Consult AG, also monitors these measurements.
Delivery times 2007-2017
| Year | A Mail letters | B Mail letters | PostPac Priority | PostPac Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 97.6% | 99.0% | 96.0% | 97.5% |
| 2016 | 98.0% | 98.9% | 98.1% | 97.2% |
| 2015 | 97.8% | 98.9% | 97.5% | 97.5% |
| 2014 | 97.7% | 99.0% | 97.4% | 97.5% |
| 2013 | 97.6% | 98.8% | 97.3% | 97.7% |
| 2012 | 97.9% | 98.8% | 97.7% | 97.9% |
| 2011 | 97.5% | 99.3% | 97.4% | 97.7% |
| 2010 | 97.2% | 98.5% | 97.7% | 97.5% |
| 2009 | 97.7% | 98.4% | 97.8% | 98.1% |
| 2008 | 95.9% | 95.9% | 98.0% | 98.7% |
| 2007 | 97.1% | 96.7% | 97.6% | 97.5% |
Information:
François Furer, Media Spokesperson, 058 341 19 47, presse@swisspost.ch