Interview: You don't have to wait for delivery because you can pick up your package at more than 850 locations throughout Croatia

Online shopping has become increasingly popular in recent years, with delivery reliability and speed being among the key elements of customer satisfaction. As orders often come from abroad, having a reliable connection between seller and buyer is more important than ever. Overseas Express has been operating on the Croatian market for more than 27 years, and we spoke with its director, Gregor Hueber, about the company’s successful business recognized by many customers.

Reference: original article (Poslovni.hr)

1. When did you introduce Parcel Shops in Croatia and how have customers adopted them?

We introduced Parcel Shops as part of our service in 2016. The OEX Parcel Shop concept is extremely important, especially for e-commerce deliveries, as it provides customers with additional flexibility when collecting their parcels. There are three ways to use our OEX Shops: the first is direct delivery, where the customer selects a Parcel Shop as the delivery location during checkout in the webshop, and we deliver the parcel directly to the chosen location. The second option is flexible delivery, where customers are notified on the delivery day about the expected time window. If they know they will not be at home, they can redirect the parcel to an OEX Shop and collect it at a time that suits them best. The third option is parcel returns, allowing customers to hand in return shipments at one of our OEX Shops. It is also important to note that the Parcel Shop concept has a very positive environmental impact, as it helps reduce driven kilometers by eliminating second or even third delivery attempts.

2. Have you noticed an increase in the use of pickup and drop-off locations? How many are there in Croatia?

Currently, we offer our customers more than 850 OEX Parcel Shop locations. We are also intensively working on expanding the network through the upcoming introduction of parcel lockers as an additional pickup option. This will make the OEX Shop network sufficiently large to cover the entire Croatian e-commerce market. For comparison, our parent company, Austrian Post, operates 1,800 pickup locations in Austria. However, Austria has twice the population of Croatia and a more developed e-commerce market. Our priority is to provide locations close to where customers live or work, making parcel collection simple and convenient. This year, we further expanded our OEX Shop network by starting cooperation with the kiosk chain Tisak. Alongside existing partners—fuel stations Tifon, supermarkets Boso, and Tobacco Petica (Velpro stores)—this cooperation has proven highly successful and very well received by customers.

3. How have you improved energy efficiency, and what are you most proud of?

Environmental protection is one of the key elements of our business strategy. We are implementing numerous projects aimed at reducing our carbon footprint. One example is replacing our forklift fleet with electric vehicles, as well as implementing LED lighting in our central warehouse and headquarters building. There are many projects that contribute to environmental protection while also delivering a solid return on investment—which is the best combination. Last year, we implemented the ISO 50001 standard related to energy management. This standard provides a practical framework for improving energy usage through the development of an energy management system. Sometimes, even simple measures—such as employee education and responsible behavior—can lead to significant energy savings. Every measure counts when striving to achieve our goals and contribute to a greener planet.

4. How will digitalization, digital payments, and simplified procedures attract more users?

Our key strategic focus is the customer experience, where the “customer” refers to the shipment recipient. From the checkout process in the webshop, through delivery, to potential returns, we analyze every touchpoint and strive to make it simpler and more transparent. Our daily mission is to exceed expectations, create a WOW effect, and thus fulfill our purpose. In Central and Eastern Europe—and especially in Croatia—there is a specific characteristic: a high share of cash-on-delivery (COD). To speed up and simplify payments, we implemented a digital payment option at delivery. Another example of digitalization is delivery without paper signature lists. With our new internal courier application, we no longer print delivery signatures or proof-of-delivery documents; everything is handled digitally within the app, which also contributes to environmental protection by reducing paper usage. In short, our goal is to make recipients happy—because satisfied recipients ultimately mean satisfied, long-term clients.

5. How does inflation affect today’s delivery services and market trends?

Inflation has been critical for everyone, especially companies in the transport sector. Last year, inflation had a strong impact on our business, and yes—we had to increase service prices. Our clients showed understanding for the challenges we faced and the rising costs. The industry requires significant investments in infrastructure, vehicles, and innovation, particularly in B2C delivery. These investments must be monetized, but ultimately they result in better service quality. I view relationships with clients as partnerships—and eventually friendships. There are ups and downs, but trust is nurtured, and long-term relationships built on solid foundations create win-win situations. Regarding future market trends, one only needs to look at more developed e-commerce markets such as Germany, the UK, the USA, or China. E-commerce has become an established and important driver of economic growth over recent decades. I believe that 24-hour delivery will remain the standard, while same-day delivery, drones, or robotic delivery are unlikely to become dominant. At the same time, grocery delivery is expected to continue growing and accelerating—but time will tell.