1 februari 2021 Parcel locker company InPost SA has clinched a five-year deal with Amazon Inc. as the U.S. giant enters Poland’s revved up $19 billion e-commerce market.
Fresh from last week’s successful initial public offering, InPost Chief Executive Officer Rafal Brzoska revealed the contract in an interview with Bloomberg. The Amsterdam-listed company will handle some Amazon deliveries in Poland through its network of automated lockers as well as directly to homes, he said.
The deal, which doesn’t cover shipments abroad, will help maintain InPost’s revenues if Amazon eats into the dominant position of Allegro.eu SA, the east European country’s e-commerce leader and the biggest client for its parcel lockers. The Polish company is boosting capacity to accommodate what it expects to be a gradual ramp-up of operations by the U.S. giant.
“We expect our friends from Amazon to pace their entry -- this is not going to be a Blitzkrieg,” Brzoska, 43, said by phone. Amazon’s step is “very positive, because it means increased volumes. For the entire market, it means faster e-commerce penetration.”