The Online World of Swiss Post with Strong Momentum

2020 was a record year for Swiss Post in digital terms. The number of visitors to the homepage soared, the use of digital services was on average about one third higher than in 2019, and has since stabilized at a high level. Corona further intensified the trend towards digitalization and demonstrated how useful the online offerings of the Post are for customers.

(Bern) Shops closed and home office on a large scale: When Switzerland went into its first lockdown a year ago and the system was largely shut down, the curves of many internet portals quickly shot up. The digitalization boost accelerated developments in many industries by several years in a short time. At the same time, it led to a veritable flood of packages and a lot of work for the Post. Even in the digital world, it proved to be crisis-resistant, and the online boom invigorated the digital offerings of Switzerland’s largest logistics provider: website, online services, various digital channels – accesses massively increased from mid-March 2020, then leveled off somewhat and stabilized at a high level before the curve picked up again due to tightened measures in the autumn. “2020 was also a record year for us in digital terms,” says Jürgen Kübler, Head of Management External Digital Channels at the Post.

Post Portal: 32 Percent More Accesses Than in 2019

Particularly impressive are the figures from the Post portal, i.e., the homepage of the Post. “Never before has the digital gateway into the yellow world for private and business customers recorded more visits than last year,” says Jürgen Kübler. Compared to 2019, the increase over the entire year averages 32 percent. With the start of the lockdown on March 16, 2020, the curve shoots up. Particularly impressive are the user numbers before and after Easter. On Wednesday, April 15, 2020, post.ch recorded 175,866 visits*. A record and, from the perspective of the online specialist, a historic day. “While people stayed at home, they obviously handled their postal business online,” says Kübler. Where is my shipment? When is the branch in the neighborhood open? Can I still send a letter abroad? Questions like these are particularly important during pandemic times. Customers receive answers on the Post portal. As the Black Friday week in late November 2020 rages on and the Post processes mountains of packages, the access numbers to the Post website again approach the April record. Afterwards, the numbers stabilize at around 110,000 accesses daily. It is also noteworthy that only 55 percent of accesses to the Post portal are via desktop. “Customers are increasingly handling their postal business at home on mobile devices – it can be done almost on the side,” suspects Kübler.

“My Shipments”: 28,000 New Subscriptions Per Month

Of all the online services of the Post, “My Shipments” is the most popular. Customers can conveniently manage the receipt of an incoming shipment digitally – to where they want it delivered. The service acts as an interface between the digital and the real world, and the increase in usage is remarkable. In September 2020, it surpassed the shipment threshold of 1.8 million, with an average of 28,000 new subscriptions added monthly. The service is practical, as it prevents customers from missing their shipments. “‘My Shipments’ provides great benefits, ensures higher quality in delivery, and leads to more satisfied customers. Many have recognized this by now,” says Jürgen Kübler.

Customer Login Post: A 21 Percent Increase in Daily Logins

Also interesting is the development of the Customer Login Post, the gateway to online services. More and more customers are using a personal access to the digital services of the yellow world, and the number of logins is rising significantly. This means that online services are being used more intensively. In January 2020, there were just over 80,000 logins daily, while in December, the average exceeded 183,000 logins per day – 21 percent more compared to 2019. The all-time record occurred on December 1, 2020 – with 280,823 logins. “More and more customers are realizing how they can make their everyday life easier thanks to login and the use of the digital services of the Post,” summarizes Jürgen Kübler.

Post App: More Popular Than Ever

And “last but not least”: the Post app. An already outdated application? Not at all. It is one of the most widely used corporate applications in Switzerland and more popular than ever. In 2020, the Post recorded 31 percent more installations on mobile devices than the previous year. The Post app is now used on every third mobile phone in Switzerland. And the figures in the new year also indicate that the app has arrived in the “here and now” of customers, concludes Jürgen Kübler.

* This analysis refers exclusively to visits. A visit is linked to a specific duration of stay. If someone clicks on the page repeatedly in a short time, they are counted only once.

Photo: © Swiss Post
www.post.ch