The Post Also Delivers Bread, PET Bottles, and Dirty Laundry

The Post CH AG delivers letters and newspapers. And packages. But wait, there was something else?! Exactly: Sometimes the postman also brings fresh bread or regional vegetables, and he takes empty PET bottles or dirty laundry with him. In some places, he also reads electricity meters. The services of the postmen and postwomen on the so-called ‘Last Mile’ are diverse.

(Bern) – They are a win-win situation – for the customers as well as for the Post. The postmen and postwomen visit practically every doorstep in Switzerland six days a week. It makes sense that they bring more than ‘just’ the mail. Or that they also pick up items or even take care of things on-site. This means: The postman can bring not only the mail but also bread from the baker, vegetables from the local farmer, or books from the library. Or he picks up empty PET bottles, coffee capsules, or old electronic devices for recycling directly at the doorstep. In some areas, he also reads electricity, gas, and water meters on his delivery route.

Why is the Post doing this?

Geneviève Wüthrich, head of the ‘Last Mile’ business unit at the Post explains: ‘These new services are a necessity today. People want to be able to take care of as much as possible easily at home. And with our offerings, we simplify their lives.’ Furthermore, it helps to keep the routes of the delivery personnel well utilized despite the decreasing number of letters and newspapers. There is also an ecological aspect. Geneviève Wüthrich emphasizes: ‘No additional trips are required, and the postmen and postwomen drive electric vehicles. The services are thus provided efficiently and in an environmentally friendly manner.’

More Variety for the Postmen and Postwomen

The list of current services and tests on the ‘Last Mile’ is long (see overview below). These new tasks also change the work of the delivery personnel. This is also true for Brigitte Meyer, who has been on delivery routes for more than 20 years: ‘The additional offerings, such as the delivery of regional products, meaningfully complement the core business of the Post. And they make my daily work more exciting and varied.’ However, Brigitte Meyer also knows the challenges that such new services bring for the postmen and postwomen: ‘If I have many mail items and, for example, many vegetable bags, it requires precise coordination and good logistics.’ On the one hand, the vegetables should remain fresh, while on the other hand, the mail should arrive on time. Postwoman Meyer emphasizes: ‘I have a responsibility towards the vegetable farmer as well as towards the customer who is looking forward to the vegetable delivery and her mail.’

How an Idea Becomes a Nationwide Offering

The ideas for such services rarely arise in a quiet corner of the Post but usually come from a specific customer need. The head of ‘Last Mile’, Geneviève Wüthrich, explains: ‘Business customers are looking for solutions to reach people at home. They want to deliver something directly to people’s homes or pick something up at home from people.’ For example, PET Recycling Switzerland had the desire several years ago for people to be able to dispose of PET waste easily and as much as possible at home.

Not Every Idea Can Ultimately Be Realized

About half of all ideas must be discarded for economic or legal reasons. Or because technical feasibility sets limits – such as with products that need to be kept constantly cool. However, if an idea is feasible, it is usually first tested in one or more regions. And if a test is ultimately successful for all parties involved, a service can even be offered nationwide. Just like the collection of empty PET bottles. The Post has been offering this service to all households nationwide for about two months now.

Service	Short Description	Test	Region
Bread Post	Postman brings fresh bread from the region	no	German-speaking Switzerland, Romandy
PET Recycling	Postman picks up bags with empty PET bottles	no	National
Regional Products	Postman brings vegetables and products from the local farmer	no	National
Recycling Coffee Capsules (Nespresso)	Postman picks up used coffee capsules	no	National
Reading Electricity Meters	Postman collects data from the electricity meter using an app	no	Various regions in Switzerland
Library Delivery Service	Postman brings books and media from the local library	no	Aarau and Basel
Pickup of Routers and TV Boxes (Swisscom and UPC)	Postman picks up defective routers or TV boxes	no	National
Laundry Post (Bubble Box)	Postman picks up dirty laundry and brings it back clean.	yes	Zurich, Winterthur, Zug, Lucerne, Basel, Bern
Care in Old Age (Red Cross Basel)	Postman delivers mail to the door of elderly people and collects their needs	yes	Basel
Pickup of Vegetable Bags (Farmy)	Postman picks up empty vegetable cooler bags	yes	Geneva region, Lausanne, and Yverdon
Recycling Electronic Devices (SENS)	Postman picks up defective small electronic devices	yes	Bern and Zurich

www.post.chImage: © Post CH AG