How many parcel points are left?
In total there are about 9000 locations where mail and parcels can be sent or picked up. The number of 1,300 closures may sound relatively few, but according to VVP branch secretary Gert Koudijs it is mainly the large parcel points that close their doors. “That there will soon be 40 percent less capacity seems a safe assumption to me.”
Moreover, this week were already such 300 PostNL points closed. They were located in locations of the Gamma or Karwei. According to Koudijs, all those closures will definitely cause problems for the delivery services. “They see their distribution crash and will have to be very creative to solve this. And consumers are looking for where they can still send or collect parcels.”
Both PostNL and DHL say that no major delays are expected.
What if my package is at a later closed location?
“If your package is on its way to a location that is close, it will be sent to a location nearby,” said a PostNL spokesperson. How far that is from you depends on how many locations are ultimately left.
DHL says there are two options. The package will be sent to another location in the area, or it will be returned to the sender. This depends on the agreements with the online store and orderer, says a company spokesperson.
Track and trace is the best way to track the location of your package according to both companies.
Does it still make sense to order something online?
You can of course order, but postal delivery services are already struggling with a considerable backlog. In view of the impending closure, the Ministry of Economic Affairs is calling for “to be realistic” about delivery times.
“Order later and have parcels delivered at home as much as possible. Make sure you are at home, let your neighbors take it or give permission to drop it if possible.” PostNL also advises customers to have as many products as possible delivered to their home. Normally this also happens in 85 percent of the cases, says a spokesman.
Some stores will deliver their own orders to avoid delays. The store closure, for example, gives Blokker’s thousands of store and office employees time to go out themselves. “Cargo bikes, bicycles, cars, everything is possible,” said a spokesman. The employees receive a travel allowance.
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