Swiss Post looks to the future: customer needs and digitization determine development steps

Through its “Swiss Post of tomorrow” strategy, Swiss Post has systematically developed its traditional core competencies over the past four years – transporting goods, information and people and providing financial services. Swiss Post has built up new expertise specifically in logistics and digital communication, making targeted investments in its future viability. To develop its branch network, Swiss Post has opened up its locations to service companies and public authorities. It has also increased customer satisfaction with the “branches with partners” format. By taking these steps, Swiss Post has laid the foundations for the next strategy period. “In recent years, we have worked hard day after day to guarantee high quality and secure our future as a relevant service provider for Switzerland. We have invested in areas where demand has grown or is growing, such as in parcel logistics capacity and digital communication solutions,” explains CEO Roberto Cirillo. Thanks to decisions of this kind, Swiss Post is a stable driving force in the economy and a role model in terms of sustainability. “And we are still able to finance our investments from our own resources,” adds Cirillo.

In the next four years, Swiss Post will guarantee its relevance to the population over the longer term through stronger customer centricity and services that offer digital and physical connections. “Swiss Post will grow in a targeted and sustainable manner in line with market requirements, ensuring that it can maintain its financial independence. Ultimately, this will also help Swiss Post remain attractive to its employees,” says Roberto Cirillo. With the next stage of the “Swiss Post of tomorrow” strategy, Swiss Post is securing its relevance for the future, optimizing its financial independence along seven strategic ambitions:

Physical and digital services

To achieve all of this, Swiss Post is committed to continuity and is increasingly focusing on the integration, scalability and profitability of its services. Swiss Post wants to continue to grow in selected markets that demonstrate a long-term rise in demand. “We remain a strong Swiss Post for a strong Switzerland. For 175 years, Swiss Post has been adapting to the changing requirements of the population and the economy. And it will continue to do so,” says Roberto Cirillo. In its core market of logistics, Swiss Post will further expand its position as a leading service provider. Swiss Post will continue to connect Switzerland every day with the core components of letters and parcels. Swiss Post is further expanding its expertise in areas such as goods logistics and is boosting its profile in the advertising market. It also wants to strengthen its mobility services in a targeted way, using flexible and sustainable solutions for business and private customers. With its services, Swiss Post is continuing to promote the digital transformation in Switzerland. As a provider of trustworthy digital communication services, Swiss Post ensures the secure handling of data for all private individuals, companies and public authorities. PostFinance remains Switzerland’s retail bank. Swiss Post continues to focus on its commitment to sustainability to ensure a harmonious environment for future generations. It is systematically converting its entire vehicle fleet to emission-free drives and investing in intelligent charging infrastructure throughout Switzerland. By doing so, it aims to achieve net zero along the entire value chain by 2040.

Swiss Post invests 100 million francs in branch network

Personalized advice and support for customers are important to Swiss Post – now and in the future. Swiss Post has noticed that people increasingly appreciate access solutions that are flexible in terms of time and location such as My Post 24 or the home service. At the same time, traditional over-the-counter transactions such as inpayments have declined sharply over the past four years. Swiss Post is adapting its branch network to take account of these irreversible developments. It is essential that Swiss Post is able to respond to its customers’ needs – physically and digitally, regionally and locally. This is why Swiss Post continues to provide a nationwide, sustainable branch network with around 2,000 locations served. Around 600 self-operated branches will form the backbone of the network. Swiss Post is converting these self-operated branches into service centers, partnering in particular with banks, health insurers, insurance companies and public authorities. This is helping the company strengthen its everyday services for private customers and SMEs. Over the next four years, Swiss Post will invest a total of over 100 million francs in its staff, in demand-led modernization of its branches and in new formats with attractive accessibility. At locations where Swiss Post can no longer continue operating its own branches due to demand, the company – in collaboration with the municipalities concerned – will seek follow-on solutions – such as the proven, popular format of “branches with partners” or home service.

Steering Swiss Post into the future on a stronger footing

Overall, Swiss Post is adapting where necessary based on changing conditions and customer requirements. “We are working intensively to put Swiss Post on a stronger footing for the future with needs-oriented, forward-looking solutions,” explains CEO Roberto Cirillo. He adds: “To achieve this, we will continue to need motivated and able employees. For this reason, we want to remain an attractive, responsible employer and support our employees so that they can do their best every day.” As such, Swiss Post is ensuring that its customers can still depend on a strong, sustainable public service, today and during the next four years – in the physical and digital worlds. And all funded from its own resources. In order to continue evolving in line with customer requirements and financing the public service without taxpayers’ money, an appropriate statutory and regulatory operating framework is important to Swiss Post. With a view to the year 2030, Swiss Post expects politicians to set the necessary course for the future.

Information

Jonathan Fisch, Swiss Post Media Unit, +41 58 341 00 00, presse@swisspost.ch