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23.08.2019
The majority or 97% of Latvia’s residents receive items through Latvijas Pasts, while 81% use postal services to send letters or parcels, according to a survey conducted by Latvijas Pasts*. In order to provide Latvia’s residents with modern and convenient services that meet the growing demand, Latvijas Pasts has started implementing major modernisation plans. The plans for the next several years include automation of a number of services, improvement of customer-oriented care and self-service systems, and the introduction of environmentally friendly solutions in everyday work.
“Latvijas Pasts is one of the most experienced companies in the Latvian communications and logistics sector. I am pleased to see how it is becoming more competitive and modern, while also being capable of drawing on its invaluable experience accumulated over decades. With every step taken by Latvijas Pasts towards more advanced solutions, it contributes to the growth of the sector, as well as to the economy of Latvia as a whole,” Tālis Linkaits, Minister of Transport, points out.
Since residents of Latvia actively use the services of Latvijas Pasts, the company plans to significantly improve their accessibility. Therefore, a substantial part of the services is going to be automated in the near future, improving the remote customer support and self-service possibilities. The plan involves introducing self-checkouts at the post offices and equipping the call centre with virtual assistants, as well as developing a wide range of electronic services. Customers will have the opportunity to use the self-service platform Manspasts.lv for the making up of postal items, as well as actively continue to use the improved mobile application, which allows applying for services at the post office remotely and from August also offers redirection of items to a more convenient point of delivery through the mobile phone.
“Expectations of the public regarding the use of postal services are changing along with technological advances and lifestyle changes. The daily operations of Latvijas Pasts are closely related to customer service, which is why it is important for us to continue to offer the services geared to the market situation and demand. Our vision for the future development involves a number of activities for the modernisation of postal operations,” Mārcis Vilcāns, Chairman of the Board of Latvijas Pasts, notes.
One of the most important steps in the implementation of the modernisation plan of Latvijas Pasts has already been made by acquiring a network of 61 postal item delivery terminals, which so far has been known under the brand name Pasta stacija, for EUR 1.8 million from the venture capital fund Baltcap. As a result of the transaction, Latvijas Pasts has acquired all of the currently operating Pasta stacija postal terminals or parcel machines 100% owned by Baltcap, thus significantly expanding the possibilities of item delivery. This means that Latvijas Pasts has added 26 parcel machines in Riga and 35 parcel machines in the vicinity of the capital and other cities in Latvia to the services rendered by more than 370 post offices, 1,300 postmen and 100 couriers, as well as a network of 50 Circle-K fuel stations.
The parcel machines under the brand of Latvijas Pasts will become fully functional after the systems have been completely aligned with each other in autumn 2019, when they will offer the opportunity to receive items addressed to Latvijas Pasts customers from online shops, while continuing to serve the former Pasta stacija customers. The average capacity of parcel machines currently stands at 850,500 items per year, but immediately after the completion of the deal, an assessment of the expansion of the parcel machine network will start, planning a procurement of new parcel machines that can also be used outdoors, thus providing 24/7 access. Improvements of the payment service are also planned for the end of 2019, introducing settlements by payment cards for the use of the parcel machines.
Latvijas Pasts data show that one of the most sought-after postal services is the receipt of items. The results of the survey conducted by Latvijas Pasts also demonstrate that the majority of residents send letters (46%), but receive parcels of various contents (57%). In addition, the overall share of postal parcel recipients is almost twice as high as the number of posters of the items with same contents (29%), which is likely due to the increasing involvement of residents in e-commerce processes.
Along with modernisation and digitisation of services, Latvijas Pasts vision of development provides for the implementation of sustainable solutions in everyday work, making the company’s operations not only more efficient but also more environmentally friendly. The company is preparing to opt out of paper printouts as much as possible and potentially purchase environmentally friendly vehicles, such as autogas-powered cargo vans, scooters with electric motors, etc. In turn, the personalisation of the services will expand the number of postmen’s functions, especially in regions where the postman will increasingly become a postal service provider who arrives at the customer’s place of residence and renders the necessary postal services there. The new development strategy of the company is expected to come into force in 2020.
Photos from the parcel machine opening event with the participation of Minister of Transport Tālis Linkaits, Chairman of the Board of Latvijas Pasts Mārcis Vilcāns, Manager of Baltcap Pēteris Treimanis, Manager of the Development Finance Institution Altum Reinis Bērziņš, as well as customers and business partners on the 22nd of August 2019 are available here.
About SJSC Latvijas Pasts
Latvijas Pasts ensures the widest availability of postal services throughout Latvia by maintaining more than 600 post offices. The primary function of the company is provision of the universal postal service; Latvijas Pasts also provides commercial transport, express mail, payment, press subscription, retail and philatelic services. Latvijas Pasts is a wholly State-owned company with around 3,800 employees. The quality measurements of Latvijas Pasts domestic mail deliveries are regularly conducted by Kantar TNS, one of the leading market, social and media research agencies in Latvia. In turn, the quality measurements of the cross-border deliveries are provided within the framework of the International Post Corporation through the intermediary of the research companies Kantar TNS, Ipsos and Quotas.
Additional information:
Gundega Vārpa | Head of External Communications
Phone: +371 67608505
E-mail: pr@pasts.lv; gundega.varpa@pasts.lv
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* A survey on the patterns of the use of postal services by Latvia’s residents was conducted in cooperation with Snapshots in August 2019, surveying 702 residents aged 18–74 from all over Latvia.