Bpost will be getting a competitor this summer when the French parcel delivery company Colis Privé arrives in Belgium.
The company is building a sorting centre in Willebroek, in the province of Antwerp, that should be operational by June.
“I think the extra capacity we will offer will be welcome,” said Bart Sasse, Managing Director of Colis Privé International. “We will help to absorb the growth of e-commerce, rather than take away large volumes from other players. The growth is strong enough for everyone.”
Colis Privé is considered a major player in the “b2c market” (business to consumer market) in France. They announced a record year in 2020 thanks to the explosive growth of online shopping as a result of coronavirus lockdown measures.
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According to Sasse, sorting at the Willebroad centre will take place at night and in the morning, allowing for next-day delivery in as many cases as possible.
Their package delivery hours are between 2:00 PM and 9:00 PM.
Colis Privé says it will work with subcontractors with a fleet that’s 90% electric vehicles, and while Sasse won’t say which retailers the delivery company will be working with, he indicated it could be shops they already work with in France that are also active in Belgium, or shops that are active in Belgium alone.
Though the company is partnered with Amazon in France, Sasse stressed that their arrival in Belgium is not related.
“This is not being done on behalf of Amazon. We are open to everyone,” Sasse said.
Helen Lyons
The Brussels Times
