Press releases

Swiss Post delivers millions of letters and parcels

Letters and parcels conveying Christmas greetings enjoy lasting popularity: in the period from 1 December to Christmas Day, Swiss Post processed around 17 million parcels. This is a record for the second year running, beating last year’s total of 16 million parcels. On peak days, it handled well over a million parcels and up to 20 million letters. This December, for the first time, Swiss Post is also sorting parcels on public holidays. Swiss Post is supporting the “2 x Christmas” campaign for the seventeenth time. Donated goods parcels for the needy may be handed in at any post office until 11 January 2014. Swiss Post will then forward the parcels to the Swiss Red Cross free of charge.

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Swiss Post works flat out throughout the Christmas period. And this year is no exception. Between 1 and 24 December, Swiss Post employees handled a record total of 17 million parcels, surpassing their previous best of 16 million parcels set in December 2012. In the week leading up to Christmas, over a million parcels passed through the modern systems at the three sorting centres in Daillens (Vaud), Frauenfeld (Thurgau) and Härkingen (Solothurn) almost every day. This is around double the volume compared to a normal working day. This December, for the very first time, Swiss Post is sorting parcels on public holidays due to rising parcel volumes seen in recent years. As most customers posted their Christmas parcels early and addressed them correctly, Swiss Post was able to deliver them punctually for Christmas.

Greetings sent by post remain popular

Traditional season’s greetings cards are still as popular as ever, as shown by the high volumes of letters and cards transported by Swiss Post in the pre-Christmas period. At peak times up to 20 million cards and letters were processed each day at the mail sorting centres in Eclépens (Vaud), Zurich-Mülligen and Härkingen (Solothurn). This, too, is equivalent to approximately twice the volume handled on an average working day.

Christmas comes twice a year

Swiss Post is supporting the “2 x Christmas” campaign for the seventeenth time. Donated goods parcels may be handed in at any post office or agency free of charge until 11 January 2014. Swiss Post will collect the parcels and forward them to the Swiss Red Cross, who will distribute them to the needy in Switzerland and abroad. Donations that are particularly welcome include useful items such as non-perishable foods, toiletries, new (or “as new”) shoes, school materials and items for toddlers. Virtual parcels can also be donated until 31 January 2014 via the website www.2xweihnachten.ch. The Swiss Red Cross then purchases the corresponding items and distributes them in Eastern Europe.

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