Regional Carriers Over Larger Shipping Conglomerates in European eCommerce

The right choice of a carrier is an integral part of the eCommerce purchasing process. Making sure of the right shipping provider for the delivery has a deep impact on customer satisfaction, as the most used carrier is usually also the one that consumers tend to trust most.

Europe’s eCommerce market consists of many countries with different cultures, languages, infrastructure and preferences. Affiliations between shipping providers are not uncommon, given the shared benefits of additional resources and expertise. But among top providers, regional carriers take the lead over the largest conglomerates DPD, GLS and DHL.

Regional Carriers Are Mostly the Top Shipping Providers

Each ECDB market profile contains information on the top shipping providers. In Europe, regional carriers dominate the ranking in most markets. More than 56% of markets have a shipping provider in the first place that is not affiliated with one of the major conglomerates.

These include Chronopost in France (offered by 40.3% of online stores), Bpost in Belgium (38.9% of online stores), Bring in Norway (47.6% of online stores), Österreichische Post and Schweizerische Post in Austria and Switzerland (51.6% and 42.2%, respectively), and CTT Correios de Portugal (44.6%).

While these carriers are not affiliated with the major conglomerates, some maintain associations with other providers. These organizations help carriers interconnect and build a coherent system of infrastructure access and shared technology. One notable European association is the E-Parcel Group. It consists of major carriers such as the Österreichische Post, Chronopost, PostNL in the Netherlands, Bring, and even the UK Royal Mail.

Three Large Carrier Conglomerates: DPD, GLS and DHL

When it comes to carriers with the widest reach in Europe, DPD stands out. It is the main carrier in Estonia (37.5%), Ireland (52.3%), Lithuania (54.4%), Latvia (40%), and Poland (54.4%). The subsidiaries of the DPD Group must also be taken into account. The Group operates Speedy in Bulgaria (69.9%), Bartolini in Italia (45%), Post Nord in Sweden (66.9%), and Yurtiçi Kargo in Turkey (46.9%).

The second most represented carrier in this illustration is GLS Group. GLS is the most often used carrier among online stores in Denmark (54.8%), Spain (25.3%), Croatia (56.0%), and Hungary (60.2%). As GLS is affiliated with the Royal Mail in the UK, this is the other market where GLS Group is represented as the top carrier. 54.4% of UK online stores offer Royal Mail as a shipping provider.

Quite surprisingly, German carrier DHL is only the top carrier in its home market. DHL is generally present worldwide, but rarely as the number one carrier in any one market.