Many individuals nonetheless write postcards and letters at Christmas time. But there are fewer and fewer of them. This can be the case in Denmark, the place the submit workplace is now withdrawing from sending letters.
Ulrich Knümann stands within the Leverkusen stationery retailer “Papelito” and appears for Christmas postcards. The pensioner is sticking to his custom: He desires to ship handwritten greetings for Christmas; digital messages are not any substitute. Many household and associates stay distant. “I can send hundreds of emails or WhatsApp messages: it’s impersonal. When I write a card, I think about what exactly I want to say to that person. That’s important.”
But individuals like Knümann have gotten rarer. The variety of letters is shrinking quickly. According to Deutsche Post, simply over twelve billion letters have been despatched in 2024 – ten years earlier there have been a great 20 billion. Postcards are additionally dropping significance: 400 million have been despatched in 1998, nearly 147 million in 2019, and solely 96 million final yr.
Denmark ends mail enterprise
The growth in Denmark is much more drastic. The state-owned firm PostNord has recorded a decline in letter quantity of over 90 p.c inside 25 years. From the flip of the yr, the corporate will take the mandatory steps: it is going to focus completely on the parcel market, dismantling public mailboxes and scaling again deliveries.
This was made attainable by a authorities reform in Copenhagen, which relaxed the state supply requirement in 2024. Now personal suppliers reminiscent of Dansk Avis Omdeling (DAO) are speculated to take over the few remaining shipments. Around 1,000 of the purple mailboxes from the nineteenth century are at present being offered – as a “small piece of Danish cultural heritage” for 1,500 to 2,000 crowns (round 200 to 270 euros).
90 p.c of letters are business-related
Elke Wollenweber, who sells Christmas postcards at “Papelito,” might hardly think about such a situation for Germany. Business with traditional motifs is at present doing extraordinarily nicely. “It has to have Santa Claus on it – or a bit of kitsch,” she says.
However, much less and fewer personal mail leads to German mailboxes, confirms DHL spokesman Alexander Edenhofer. Over 90 p.c of the roughly twelve billion letters despatched have been enterprise, authorities and promoting mail. “Only some of it is posted through mailboxes,” explains Edenhofer. Major prospects reminiscent of banks and insurance coverage corporations delivered their shipments on to the mail facilities; The bins have been primarily utilized by personal prospects and smaller companies.
Number of mailboxes in Germany steady
While the quantity of letters is falling, the variety of mailboxes stays nearly unchanged. According to a DHL spokesman, ten years in the past there have been round 110,000 containers nationwide; right now there are 108,200. An finish to the state-secured letter system like in Denmark shouldn’t be in sight right here. The Postal Universal Service Ordinance requires supply at the least twice per week – even in distant areas.
“Danish Post is not Deutsche Post, the markets are only comparable to a limited extent,” emphasizes Edenhofer. Despite declining volumes, the letter stays related in Germany. “We assume that we will be processing and delivering letters for many years to come.” However, a dependable political framework is a prerequisite. The growth in Denmark exhibits how demanding the enterprise has turn into: “Digitalization is progressing, letter volumes are shrinking across Europe. This is putting a strain on all postal service providers.”
Delivery days lowered
Politicians have already reacted and given the submit workplace extra time to ship letters. In June 2024, the Bundestag determined to reform the postal legislation. After that, 95 p.c of the letters solely must be delivered on the third working day after they’re posted. On the fourth working day it must be 99 p.c. Previously, the requirement was that at the least 80 p.c of the letters posted must be delivered the next day and 95 p.c the following working day.
When it involves writing letters, there appears to be a transparent generational distinction, at the least within the Leverkusen stationery retailer. Pensioner Charlotte Maletz reminisces: “I used to get love letters. When you’re older, you take them out and think: That was nice. You can read it again and again.” For 21-year-old Tom Kreutz, nevertheless, writing a postcard is just too strenuous: “You have to go to the store, buy a postcard. Then you have to find the address and then write. And I just think that it’s definitely more effort.” He sends his Christmas greetings to everybody with only a few clicks – through a WhatsApp group.
https://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/verbraucher/post-briefkaesten-daenemark-100.html