Swiss Post suspends operations at subsidiary notime

The Swiss Post intends to discontinue the services of its subsidiary notime by the end of September 2025. Accordingly, the two companies are launching a consultation process. They are making every effort to implement the associated job reductions as socially responsibly as possible. The Post will offer affected business customers alternative solutions wherever possible.

(Bern) In order to remain financially healthy in the long term and to provide high-quality basic services without taxpayer money, the Post continuously reviews the economic viability of its services. This includes the Same-Day offering from notime. Since 2018, the Post, through its subsidiary notime, has been offering same-day delivery in urban areas of various cities in German-speaking and Western Switzerland. However, this option has only been utilized to a limited extent by customers since its inception, and there is a lack of willingness to pay for the service. Notime incurs annual losses. After an intensive review, the Post has concluded that it could only operate notime’s services at a loss in the long term. Therefore, it intends to cease operations of notime (Switzerland) AG by the end of September 2025.

Same-Day has always remained a niche offering

“Together with notime, we have examined various options to make the offering profitable,” says Johannes Cramer, Head of Logistics Services and member of the Post Executive Board. The Post has analyzed different pricing and cost structures multiple times. However, the fixed costs are too high for the operation of a Same-Day specialist to be worthwhile. The offering has remained a niche service, and a turnaround in Same-Day demand is not in sight.

Post offers business customers alternatives

In the event of the closure of notime (Switzerland) AG based in Zurich, the Post would offer business customers the possibility of integrating into existing delivery solutions of the Post. The Post is in contact with all approximately 20 business customers who utilize notime’s Same-Day deliveries. The planned discontinuation of notime would not affect the Same-Day offerings that the Post provides directly to business and private customers. For example, the SameDay Swiss Afternoon and SameDay Swiss Evening services will remain available. Notime was founded in 2014 and began operations in 2015. In 2018, the Post acquired a majority stake in the company. In 2021, it acquired the remaining shares.

The Post aims to support affected notime employees

Due to the planned closure of notime’s operations, approximately 143 full-time equivalents (FTE) in German-speaking and Western Switzerland are expected to be eliminated. These positions primarily consist of around 550 couriers who deliver shipments on an hourly wage with an average workload of 20 percent. This also includes 39 salaried employees. Notime and the Post are making every effort to implement the anticipated job reductions as socially responsibly as possible. Johannes Cramer assures: “The intended steps are difficult for us. However, operating a loss-making business in the long term would not be responsible from a business perspective. We will closely support the affected employees and assist them in the best possible way. We are committed to offering as many employees as possible continued employment with the Post.”

Employees can submit proposals

For employees who cannot be offered continued employment in the event of a closure, the Post plans to develop a social plan in collaboration with social partners. A consultation process will begin at notime on May 8, 2025, lasting until May 30, 2025. Employees of notime can submit proposals on how to prevent the intended job reductions, limit the number of layoffs, or mitigate their consequences.

Photos: © Swiss Post/notime