PostNL opens 350 pick-up points in Belgium

PostNL, the biggest postal company in the Netherlands, wants to expand its logistics network in Belgium. Before the end of the year, it will open 350 extra pick-up/drop-off (PUDO) points. Currently, PostNL owns 1.000 service locations in Belgium.

The news was reported by HLN. PostNL has been expanding in Belgium for some time, competing with Belgian postal service Bpost. Last year, the Dutch carrier opened two new warehouses. At the start of 2022, the first distribution center was opened in Belgium.

350 extra PUDO points

Currently, PostNL owns 1.000 pick-up points across Belgium. To compare, in the Netherlands the company operates 4.000 service points. Before the end of this year, PostNL will open 350 additional PUDO points.

PostNL currently owns 1.000 Belgian PUDO points.

At the moment, PostNL owns 9 warehouses and 1 distribution center in the country. This means Belgian customers can access a service point within 2 kilometers of their house. In Brussels the distance is even smaller, namely 750 meters.

Parcel volume decreased

Earlier this month, PostNL released its new quarterly numbers. In Q2, its parcel volume decreased with 12,6 percent while revenue lowered with 11 percent.

The parcel volume decreased with 12,6%.

Because of this, the EBITDA ends up at 10 million euros. That is much lower than the same time last year, when earnings before interest amounted to 60 million euros. In addition to a decrease in parcels, costs are higher due to inflation.

PostNL Belgium lawsuit

Ambitions to expand in Belgium are overshadowed by an ongoing lawsuit. Just months ago, there were multiple arrests at warehouses of the Belgian PostNL branch. This is due to a suspicion of fraud at subcontractors, such as undeclared work.