DHL eCommerce and bpost will not exclusively work together under the name 'The Benelux deliverers' to make cross-border online shopping easier and faster for consumers and webshops. With the growth in e-commerce, cross-border online shopping is also increasing. By working together in the field of delivery, sorting, delivery and returns, cross-border e-commerce is further stimulated.
A research report has laid down how Dutch webshops can benefit even more from potential Belgian customers by responding to specific needs in delivery. Thanks to the cooperation between DHL and bpost, the specialist in consumer delivery in Belgium, Belgian consumers can order from a Dutch webshop until the evening and have their order delivered the next day. Conversely, the Dutch webshopper can go to the Belgian online stores for longer to get it delivered the next day with DHL as a trusted delivery person. A big advantage is also the simplicity of the returns of purchases that do not like. Returning from the Netherlands to Belgium and vice versa is just as easy as with domestic orders. In addition, thanks to the cooperation, the e-tailer benefits from a total solution, which means both administrative and operational simplification.
bpost and DHL are both leaders in developments in the field of parcel delivery. bpost opened a new sorting centre for letters and parcels in Brussels last year, doubling its capacity to 300,000 parcels per day and DHL eCommerce is building a centre in Zaltbommel for sorting half a million parcels every day. A large sorting capacity is also important for late delivery times for webshops.
bpost and DHL are both known for their innovations, such as track & trace facilities, return options and services where the customer can determine where and when packages are delivered. Together, both parcel carriers have more than 4,400 service points; more than 1,900 in the Netherlands and 2,300 in Belgium. This includes parcel lockers.
Belgians shop across the border
Of the 11.4 million Belgians, 60% buy online. Three quarters (72%) of this group also shop in other European countries (1). Of the more than 5 million Belgian webshoppers, 46% indicate that they want to do so at a Dutch webshop (2). 79% of dutch people buy online, but the percentage who e-shop abroad is still limited to 34% (3). The overall growth in e-commerce in both countries is around 10% (4).
1) Eurostat 2017
2) Ipsos; research report e-commerce in Belgium
3) Eurostat 2017
4) Euromonitor 2017
Wouter van Benten, CEO of DHL eCommerce Benelux: "bpost and DHL are two leading, innovative parcel deliverers, active on a global scale. Thanks to the collaboration between bpost and DHL, a huge potential of Belgian webshoppers will be available for Dutch webshops and cross-border ordering, receiving and returning will become easier."
Luc Cloet, CEO parcels & logistics Europe & Asia of bpost: "We are delighted that our cooperation with DHL is now expanding further into a total solution for e-tailers in Belgium and the Netherlands. They now enjoy one unique logistics solution that will make their lives easier and a wider potential of clients to supply."
E-commerce Belgium research paper
Download whitepaper
