Parcel and Postal Technology International
  • News
    • A-E
      • Automation
      • Business Diversification
      • Construction / Development
      • Cross-border
      • Delivery
      • E-commerce
      • Expo
    • F-O
      • Freight
      • IT & Systems
      • Last Mile
      • Lockers / PUDO
      • Logistics
      • Mail
      • Operations
    • P-R
      • Packets
      • Parcels
      • Peak
      • Retail
      • Returns
    • S-Z
      • Sorting Systems
      • Staff / Personnel
      • Sustainability
      • Technology
      • Vehicles / Fleet
  • Features
  • Online Magazines
    • March 2025
    • September 2023
    • June 2023
    • March 2023
    • December 2022
    • SHOWCASE 2019
    • Archive Issues
    • Subscribe Free!
  • Opinion
  • Videos
  • Analysis
  • Awards
    • 2025 Awards
    • Previous Winners
  • Supplier Spotlight
  • Parcel + Post Expo
LinkedIn YouTube Twitter
  • Sign-up for Breaking News Emails
  • Meet the Editors
  • Contact Us
  • Media Pack
Subscribe
LinkedIn Facebook
Parcel and Postal Technology International
  • News
      • Automation
      • Business Diversification
      • Construction / Development
      • Cross-border
      • Delivery
      • E-commerce
      • Expo
      • Freight
      • IT & Systems
      • Last Mile
      • Lockers / PUDO
      • Logistics
      • Mail
      • Operations
      • Packets
      • Parcels
      • Peak
      • Retail
      • Returns
      • Sorting Systems
      • Staff / Personnel
      • Sustainability
      • Technology
      • Vehicles / Fleet
  • Features
  • Online Magazines
    1. December 2024
    2. September 2024
    3. June 2024
    4. March 2024
    5. SHOWCASE 2019
    6. Subscribe Free!
    Featured
    April 2, 2025

    In this Issue – March 2025

    Online Magazines By Web Team
    Recent

    In this Issue – March 2025

    April 2, 2025

    In this Issue – December 2024

    December 5, 2024

    In this Issue – September 2024

    September 19, 2024
  • Opinion
  • Videos
  • Analysis
  • Awards
    • 2025 Awards
    • 2024 Award Winners
    • 2023 Award Winners
    • 2022 Award Winners
    • 2021 Award Winners
    • 2020 Award Winners
    • 2019 Award Winners
    • Previous Winners
  • Supplier Spotlight
  • Parcel + Post Expo
LinkedIn Facebook
Subscribe
Parcel and Postal Technology International
Analysis

La Poste follows Amazon in disrupting the last mile

Opinion WritersBy Opinion WritersApril 4, 20184 Mins Read
Share LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

Ian Kerr, founder of the Postal Hub Podcast, and Marek Ròżycki, managing partner at Last Mile Experts, take a closer look at the innovative new B2C subscription service offered by La Poste

La Poste has just launched the Colissimo Pass with the intention of gaining as many e-commerce partners as possible and creating a viable subscription model.

Heavy online customers will be delighted as La Poste (via its Colissimo brand) will offer them an unlimited subscription for parcel delivery, similar to Amazon Prime. The product, named Colissimo Pass, has been available for a few weeks on La Poste’s online site at a ‘promotional price’ of €9 (US$11) per annum (later it will be €39 (US$48)). A launch campaign is reported to follow shortly.

So, what’s in the deal? The pass includes free deliveries (with no minimum purchase) via all partner e-commerce sites, along with free returns. La Poste has also announced subscribers can access ‘premium’ customer service, accessible seven days a week, from 8am to 10pm. While this is not as wide as Amazon Prime’s benefits package, La Poste seems to have taken a leaf out of Amazon’s book when it comes to customer experience.

Customer experience rules, OK!
Colissimo will interface with all e-commerce partners so the consumer will have a single point of contact for claims or delivery enquiries. Moreover, a list of all of their current orders will also be available on the Colissimo Pass account.

For customers, the formula will grow in appeal as the number of partners increases; so far there is still a relatively small number of pilot partners without many big names. Indeed, the success of Colissimo Pass will be dependent on La Poste’s ability to reach a critical mass of e-tailers. La Poste has not provided details at this point, but is apparently seeking to have 30 online merchants by summer, and 50 by Christmas.

A significant argument supporting customer acquisition is the opportunity to increase their sales. Delivery costs are a major cause of basket abandonment so free delivery should boost sales. It remains to be seen what the financial participation of the e-tailer will be, but at a price of €39 (US$48) per annum it certainly won’t be the consignee who covers the full cost of the service.

An Amazon-beating strategy?
With this service, La Poste offers small- and medium-sized e-tailers a tool to help them stand up to e-commerce giants such as Amazon.

Amazon is currently La Poste’s largest customer but at the same time a competitor via its Amazon Logistics business, and more so, as a few years ago Amazon tried to buy Colis Privé – La Poste’s only real competitor in B2C delivery.

OK, so why do we think this is a super-smart move for La Poste? First of all, they have a major advantage over most other players in that they visit so many residential addresses daily and have wide coverage via their PUDO/parcel locker alternatives. Accordingly, the incremental cost of a few more parcels per area is relatively less than for a smaller commercial carrier. This argument is reinforced by La Poste’s obligation to cover the whole country anyway.

Other important benefits are that smaller e-commerce companies can be supported with their own ‘Prime type’ delivery option, reducing the risk that the market will be dominated by a few large oligopoly players (who will put pressure on prices). Of course, the anticipated incremental volumes will be welcome too.

With Colissimo Pass, La Poste follows in the footsteps of Oceanian posts Australia Post (Shipster) and NZ Post (Shipmate) – both have launched similar delivery subscription services in the last 12 months.

The subscription model is innovative and customer-centric – two things we need more of in the postal sector!

Bio:

Ian Kerr is the founder and host of the Postal Hub Podcast, the weekly podcast for the postal and delivery sectors.

 

 

Marek Różycki is managing partner at Last Mile Experts, specializing in CEP and e-commerce last-mile advisory.

Share. Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Email
Previous ArticleIf at first you don’t succeed … try, try again: DHL returns to the US last mile
Next Article PostNord to offer on-demand 3D printing services

Related Posts

Analysis

ANALYSIS: What does PostNord’s announcement mean for the future of letter delivery?

May 15, 20251 Min Read
Analysis

ANALYSIS: From needlessly oversized boxes to labelling, how can parcel packaging be improved?

May 8, 20251 Min Read
Analysis

ANALYSIS: Will Allegro’s partnership with DHL and Orlen Paczka give InPost a run for its money?

May 1, 20251 Min Read

Receive breaking stories and features in your inbox each week, for free


Enter your email address:


Latest News

Bloq.it supports Vinted Go locker expansion in Spain and Portugal

May 15, 2025

ANALYSIS: What does PostNord’s announcement mean for the future of letter delivery?

May 15, 2025

DHL eCommerce UK and Evri merge to create premium parcel delivery company

May 14, 2025
Getting in Touch
  • Contact Us / Advertiser
  • Meet the Editors
  • Download Media Pack
  • Breaking News Emails
Our Social Channels
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
Supplier Spotlights
  • Loadhog
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Notice & Takedown Policy
  • Site FAQs
© 2025 UKi Media & Events a division of UKIP Media & Events Ltd

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.

CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie records the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie records the user consent for the cookies in the "Analytics" category.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional1 yearThe GDPR Cookie Consent plugin sets the cookie to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie records the user consent for the cookies in the "Necessary" category.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie stores user consent for cookies in the category "Others".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie stores the user consent for cookies in the category "Performance".
elementorneverThe website's WordPress theme uses this cookie. It allows the website owner to implement or change the website's content in real-time.
JSESSIONIDsessionNew Relic uses this cookie to store a session identifier so that New Relic can monitor session counts for an application.

Functional

Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.

CookieDurationDescription
__cf_bm30 minutesCloudflare set the cookie to support Cloudflare Bot Management.

Analytics

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

CookieDurationDescription
CONSENT2 yearsYouTube sets this cookie via embedded YouTube videos and registers anonymous statistical data.
uidsessionThis is a Google UserID cookie that tracks users across various website segments.
vuid1 year 1 month 4 daysVimeo installs this cookie to collect tracking information by setting a unique ID to embed videos on the website.
_ga1 year 1 month 4 daysGoogle Analytics sets this cookie to calculate visitor, session and campaign data and track site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognise unique visitors.
_ga_*1 year 1 month 4 daysGoogle Analytics sets this cookie to store and count page views.

Advertisement

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.

CookieDurationDescription
OAGEOsessionOpenX sets this cookie to avoid the repeated display of the same ad.
OAID1 yearCookie set to record whether the user has opted out of the collection of information by the AdsWizz Service Cookies.
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE5 months 27 daysYouTube sets this cookie to measure bandwidth, determining whether the user gets the new or old player interface.
YSCsessionYoutube sets this cookie to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages.
yt-remote-connected-devicesneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the user's video preferences using embedded YouTube videos.
yt-remote-device-idneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the user's video preferences using embedded YouTube videos.
yt.innertube::nextIdneverYouTube sets this cookie to register a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen.
yt.innertube::requestsneverYouTube sets this cookie to register a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen.

Others

Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.

CookieDurationDescription
VISITOR_PRIVACY_METADATA5 months 27 daysDescription is currently not available.

SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by