Left: Morten Villberg, managing director, DHL Parcel UK and Nordics
According to DHL, the rate of growth in the B2C and C2C delivery markets is significant enough that international carriers can work with Uber-inspired social delivery services to provide a more holistic service for customers.
Morten Villberg, managing director, DHL Parcel UK and Nordics, said, “I do not think that there is one kind of delivery that covers everyone’s needs. Customer expectations and needs are very different. Some need a standardized product, others fast delivery and high security.
“Both B2C and C2C markets are growing a lot right now, so I think there is room for all delivery services. It will be interesting to see what the future holds, and as a starting point I welcome cooperation with social delivery services, if it makes sense for both parties.”
Transportation network Uber has drawn controversy since it was first established in 2007 as the app enables users to choose the best prices between taxis, private cars and rideshares at the push of a button. It also avoids certain regulations imposed on taxi drivers as it operates as an online comparison site rather than a taxi company.
The social delivery services of Nimber in Norway and Trunkbird in Denmark operate in a similar way, enabling anyone to register on the site to deliver packages and, in turn, providing customers with cheaper alternatives to traditional carriers.
Daniel Nyvang, co-founder of Trunkbird, said, “It is expensive to send parcels with professional carriers and people might feel insecure about sending valuable items with someone they do not know. The price and the personal contact is very much the reason why we exist. The technology is, of course, also a great reason why. Today we have an online personality and rating systems that verifies services like Trunkbird.
“Social delivery services are helping in growing the market. We can do things that were impossible previously. I am not sure if we are a competitor to carriers, as we are more focused on C2C, where professional carriers also focus on B2C and B2B. However, Trunkbird complements the carriers’ delivery services and meets the high fragmentation that lies within deliveries.”
July 8, 2015