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Summary of our market study
The French express freight market, valued at around €5.2 billion
The global express delivery market, estimated at over $320 billion and expected to grow by around 7% a year.
The express delivery market is experiencing considerable growth in France.
Heavy goods vehicles account for almost 87% of the national freight market.
E-commerce, estimated at between €145 and €150 billion, is accelerating the market.
85% of French people prefer home delivery services. However, less costly relay point deliveries are on the increase. Parcel tracking services, alerted by e-mail or telephone, are also in high demand.
The sector is highly concentrated. Global leaders DHL, FedEx and UPS have a substantial presence in France
Start-ups are innovating, particularly in last-mile delivery.
Fast freight players
- Chronopost, a subsidiary of La Poste
- DHL employs over 3,600 people in France alone.
- United Parcel Service, an American giant
- FedEx Corporation, world leader
- Aramex PJSC (United Arab Emirates)
- SF Express (Group) Co. Ltd (China)
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Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1. Presentation and definition of the express delivery market
Express transport is a service that delivers goods quickly and efficiently from one point to another, faster than traditional delivery services. This service is particularly popular with businesses, especially those in sectors such as online sales, logistics, healthcare and finance.
There are three categories of courier, depending on delivery times:
- traditional couriers, who commit to delivering parcels within 24 to 72 hours;
- fast courier services, which pick up parcels before 6 p.m. for delivery on D+1 before 6 p.m;
- express freight with shorter lead times: delivery is generally before 12 noon for collection the evening before. It guarantees on-time delivery, real-time tracking of shipment progress, and full handling of administrative and customs formalities.
However, the difference between express and courier services is very subtle, so much so that express courier services are sometimes included in express freight.
The global market, estimated at $277.04 billion in 2022, is set to grow at a CAGR of 7.2% to 2027, a sign of the market's expansion. It comprises B2B flows, but also B2C flows, boosted by the development of e-commerce.
The French express freight market is also booming, following a slight downturn during the health crisis. Heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) are the preferred mode of transport, accounting for almost 87% of the market for domestic freight. Market players are undergoing a process of concentration, with numerous takeovers. Inflation and the war in Ukraine are not conducive to lower prices. However, industry players are constantly innovating and offering solutions adapted to both professional and private customers.
1.2. The global express freight market benefits from a stimulating economic environment
The size of the global express delivery market was estimated at $***.** billion in **** and is expected to reach $***.** billion in ****, representing growth of *.*%. The market is then expected to grow at a CAGR of *.*% until ****.
Estimated growth in the size of the global express delivery market World, **** - ****, in $ billions Source: ...
1. 3. express freight: a thriving market in France
The French express freight market is registered under NAF code **.**A, which groups together the courier and express freight markets. Thus, the size of the express freight market can be obtained by studying this broader sector.
courier and express freight market sales trends France, **** - ****, in € billions Source: ****
In ****, sales amounted ...
1.4. A special feature of the market: e-commerce, a growth driver for the sector
E-commerce refers to all commercial transactions carried out via digital interfaces, essentially on the Internet using computers, tablets, smartphones and other devices.
Total sales generated by e-commerce, by type of purchasing device France, ****-****, € billion Source: ****
In ****, sales in the e-commerce sector, including products and services, will total €***.* billion, marking an ...
2 Demand analysis
2.1. Home delivery and parcel tracking: French preferences
The consumption habits of the French population are favorable to express freight: the French are more inclined to have deliveries made to their homes, and to be able to track their deliveries in real time.
Home delivery is preferred in France, but delivery to a relay point is also popular:
A ...
2.2 A minority of French are prepared to pay more for shorter delivery times
According to an OpinionWay survey published in ****, too long a delivery time is the second reason leading customers to abandon their order. In fact, **% of those surveyed said they had already abandoned an online purchase because of a delivery time that was too long.
Reasons for abandoning an online purchase France, ...
2.3 French people's preferences for different parcel delivery companies
Numerous delivery companies operate in France, but it's clear that consumers prefer French groups.
How the French rate the different parcel delivery companies France, ****, in Source: ****
The three groups preferred by the French are French brands: Colissimo (***). The appreciation gap between French brands and those of other nationalities is wide, since ...
3 Market structure
3.1. The French express freight market is becoming increasingly concentrated
The number of courier and express companies in France is steadily declining, from *,*** in **** to *,*** in ****, corresponding to a drop of around **%.
number of establishments in the courier and express freight sector France, **** - ****, in number of establishments Source: ****
This phenomenon reflects a concentration of the business, with the biggest companies ...
3.2. Strengthening national and international players
The two world leaders in express parcel delivery are American giants FedEx and UPS. Lately, FedEx has benefited from an influx of customers from UPS, which has been affected by the threat of strikes. An agreement was reached with employees ahead of the *ᵉʳ August **** deadline, averting the strike. In addition, FedEx's ...
3.3. The different phases of parcel delivery and the last mile
Sending a parcel is a process that requires a number of different stages to ensure that it runs smoothly and is optimized, which is why express delivery companies are so efficient.
The last stage in the parcel delivery process is the so-called"last mile". This term designates the final segment in ...
4 Offer analysis
4.1. Road freight, the main medium for express deliveries
There are different types of express freight, depending on the delivery method used:
road rail maritime air
Modal shares of land freight transport France, ****, in Source: ****
In ****, for the first time since ****, the share of road transport by heavy goods vehicle in overland freight transport (***) has fallen, from **.*% in **** to **.*%. However, ...
4.2. A steady rise in prices
The following graph shows the production price indices for French courier and express freight services. These indices have been rising since ****.
Output price indices for French services to French courier and express companies France, Q*-**** - Q*-****, in price indices Source: ****
The rise in prices can be explained by ...
4.3. Transport prices
Websites such as tarif-colis.com enable consumers to easily compare prices and encourage competition. The procedure simply involves entering the country of departure and arrival, and the weight and dimensions of the parcel: a list of carriers detailing the service and price is then proposed by the website.
Prices vary according ...
4.4. Innovation at the heart of the express freight sector: some French start-ups make their mark
Faced with the big global players with their substantial economies of scale, some French start-ups are trying to assert themselves by being more innovative, flexible and digital.
Trusk, for example, aims to revolutionize delivery. The company's business model is based on the express transport of bulky objects, with delivery within the ...
5 Regulations
5.1 Installation constraints
Professional road haulage contractors are subject to specific regulations. They must register their company, whether using two- or four-wheel motorized vehicles, on the transporters' register managed by the Direction Régionale de l'Environnement, de l'Aménagement et du Logement (***). Before registering, they must obtain authorization from the regional prefect, via the ...
5.2 The main points of professional regulations
Regulation of road haulage is based on the law of December **, ****, known as the"LOTI".the Loi d'Orientation des Transports Intérieurs (***), recodified in the Transport Code in December ****, establishes a right to transport that aims to enable travel under reasonable conditions of access, quality, price and cost for the community. ...
6 Positioning the players
6. Segmentation
- Geodis
- DB Schenker
- FedEx
- GLS (Royal Mail)
- UPS
- Colissimo La Poste
- Chronopost (La Poste)
- Mondial Relay (Otto group)
- DHL International Express France
- TNT Express
- DHL Group
- InPost
List of charts presented in this market study
- Estimated growth in the size of the global express delivery market
- Sales trends in the courier and express freight market
- Market share of different types of transport in domestic freight transport
- Total sales generated by e-commerce
- Number of active e-commerce sites
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Latest news
Mondial Relay opens a parcel distribution platform in Vendée - 18/10/2023
- Mondial Relay is currently building its 40th logistics site in Nesmy, south of La Roche-sur-Yon.
- The investment for this project is 4 million euros
- Mondial Relay currently sorts and routes 30,000 parcels a day in the Vendée region.
- With the new platform, Mondial Relay expects to be able to sort and route up to 50,000 parcels a day.
- By 2024, Mondial Relay plans to have 300 points of contact in Vendée.
- The number of lockers will double from 50 to 100 by 2024.
- By 2026, Mondial Relay aims to have between 600 and 700 parcel drop-off/pick-up points in the Vendée département.
Chronopost: French start-up simplifies parcel delivery - 03/08/2023
- The growth of e-commerce has considerably increased the number of parcels exchanged in recent years.
- Chronopost, France's leading express parcel delivery company, is a subsidiary of the La Poste group.
- Chronopost has teamed up with French start-up Anycommerce.
- Anycommerce has developed a checkout software available in all Chronopost partner stores.
- The new software is already handling over 2,000 transactions a day since its installation on July 1.
- The number of parcels delivered in France was increasing by more than 10% every year before the project was launched.
- In 2022, La Poste's parcel business slowed down, but remained at a very high level, with 2.6 billion parcels delivered worldwide.
- The new AnyPOS platform is deployed throughout France
Chronopost accelerates in food and pharmaceuticals - 14/06/2023
- Chronofresh warehouse area: 1,900 m2.
- Investment in new Chronopost facilities: 22 million euros.
- Chronofresh sales growth in 2022: 23%.
- Chronofresh sales in 2022: 120 million euros.
- Chronopost Healthcare sales in 2022: 160 million euros.
- Chronopost Healthcare sales growth in 2022: 11%.
Colissimo commits to the planet to stand out from the crowd - 25/05/2023
- E-commerce will account for a quarter of global sales by 2026.
- Colissimo, the leader in France, delivered 500 million parcels a year.
- The La Poste subsidiary has reduced its CO2 emissions by 42% between 2013 and 2022.
- 64% of e-tailers prefer reusable packaging to disposable boxes.
- Colissimo targets: 50% carbon-free deliveries in France by 2025
Geodis prepares for a record year - 06/05/2023
- Sales forecast for 2022: 13 billion euros, for 2021: 10.9 billion euros
- Asia-Europe volumes down 20% due to war in Ukraine
- Warehouse space managed by Geodis worldwide: 9 million m².
- Global logistics expenditure: 5,900 billion euros
- Outsourced logistics expenditure: 2,600 billion euros
UPS inaugurates its new logistics hub at Lyon-Saint-Exupéry airport - 06/05/2023
- UPS has been present at Lyon-Saint-Exupéry airport since 1985
- Investment of 12 million euros for the new sorting platform
- UPS has 60 centers in France and operates five other airport services (Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle, Toulouse, Marseille, Bordeaux and Rennes)
- UPS sales in 2021: $97.3 billion
- UPS has customers in more than 220 countries and territories
- UPS employs around 540,000 people worldwide
- In France, UPS is present in more than 5,000 relay points, operates a fleet of 500 vehicles and more than 2,800 subcontracted vehicles, and employs more than 2,700 people.
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the express transport market | France
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