Omniva doubles number of new parcel terminals in Latvia
As a result of an increase in the number of online shoppers, Estonia's state-owned postal service, conducting business under the Omniva brand, will open 30 new parcel terminals in Latvia — twice as many as initially planned.
By installing 15 additional parcel terminals in Latvia this year, the Estonian company will increase its parcel terminal network in Latvia by 54 percent and in the Baltic countries by 35 percent in size. While the company initially planned to open 15 terminals in Latvia, Omniva recently decided to expand even faster and double the number of new parcel terminals. The installing of these new terminals is to begin in Riga and other regions of Latvia at the end of September, Omniva reported.
According to Ansi Arumeel, a member of Omniva's board of directors, the company already has the biggest parcel terminal network in the Baltics with more than 28,000 package lockers to their name, however they still plan to expand further in the Baltics.
By the end of 2016, Omniva's parcel terminal network will have grown by 20 terminals in Estonia, 22 in Lithuania and 30 in Latvia.
While the majority of Latvia's parcel volumes consist of business customers, sudden growth has been detected recently among private customers as well, leading the company to expect the packages of private customers to soon make up 50 percent of total parcel volumes.
Eurostat results show that the number of online shoppers is increasing across all age groups in Europe. Last year, 59 percent of Estonia's internet users bought products or services online. Latvia and Lithuania both trail Estonia with figures of just 38 and 32 percent, respectively, but their numbers are quickly increasing.
In 2017, Omniva is slated to grant access to its parcel terminal network to other Baltic partners in order to further advance the fast development of online trade.
Editor: Editor: Aili Vahtla
Source: BNS