She negotiates to reduce parcel delivery times

As Kommersant has learned, Russian Post is negotiating with foreign online stores and intermediaries, including Ebay Today, Shipito, G-Market, etc., to reduce delivery times for parcels to Russia. Russian Post explained the problems with delivery that arose last year as failures in the work of customs; now it offers foreign partners to exchange data on orders, which will make it possible to more accurately predict the volume of incoming international mail, as well as strengthen security measures when sending items.

The fact that the Russian Post express delivery service (EMS) is negotiating with foreign online stores and intermediaries (engaged in direct centralized delivery of goods to the client, which can be ordered in different online stores in the country) to reduce the delivery time of parcels to Russia , Andrei Budanov, director of EMS at Pochta, told Kommersant. According to him, among them are Ebay Today (USA, England; generates 3-4 thousand EMS shipments per month for Russia), Shipito (USA; 8-10 thousand), YOOX (Italy; 1.5-2 thousand. ), G-Market (South Korea; 3.5-4.5 thousand). In the future, it is planned to hold negotiations with the Chinese companies Taobao and Alibaba-ru.com. Andrey Budanov clarifies that negotiations with stores and intermediaries will last until approximately the end of April.

Firstly, we are talking about exchanging data on orders in online stores so that Post can more accurately predict the volume of incoming international mail. Secondly, about the safety of sending items: recommendations for packaging, using tape with a logo, etc. Delivery will speed up if online stores recommend that customers indicate the delivery address where the client is located most of the day (for example, work), and also Be sure to leave your mobile phone number.

Parcels are often delayed due to the loss of accompanying documents, explains Mr. Budanov. To avoid this, Mail recommends that senders securely record the address form or duplicate the postal identifier and address data directly on the envelope of the item. “This problem was solved with the Italian post. Previously, shipments from Italy were often delayed due to the fact that labels with the delivery address were not securely attached, and they were often lost,” he notes.

The CEO of EastBiz (owns Shipito, which forwards orders from the USA) John Vanhara confirmed that Pochta contacted the company. “I don’t yet know how we can help. The volume of mail is growing, and postal services around the world are struggling to cope with this flow. We were forced to start working in two shifts, seven days a week, in order to process orders,” says Mr. Vanhara.

According to Russian Post statistics, about 100 thousand items per month are imported into Russia via EMS every month. 30% comes from the USA, 20% from China, 10% from South Korea, 7% from Japan, 4.5% from Israel and 4% from the UK. The bulk of incoming EMS shipments are parcels containing distance selling goods.

Last year, due to an increase in delivery times from about two weeks to several months, some foreign online stores refused to place orders for Russian customers. Then Pochta claimed that the problem was with customs: due to the increased volume of express shipments, temporary storage warehouses were overstocked with parcels. The problem was solved by increasing the number of customs posts and the timing of their work. But at the beginning of this year the problems resumed again (see Kommersant, March 18 ). Pochta confirmed the presence of complaints from customers, claiming that “problematic” items account for no more than 3-5% of international mail sent to Russia.

A source close to Pochta claimed that delivery problems were not the fault of the Russian side. “The main flow of goods to Russia comes from the USA and China. These countries do not transport goods directly, but use many connecting flights. Apparently, this works out cheaper, but as a result, delivery times increase, often very much,” said Kommersant’s interlocutor. .

Marketing Director of the Russian online store Yutinet.ru Taras Donskoy knows about problems with the delivery of parcels from abroad. “If Pochta managed to come to an agreement, it would help a lot. But it is unclear why intermediaries would send data about their turnover,” says Mr. Donskoy.

Alexander Malakhov

"Russian Post" entered online shopping