Network development
Working together for the postal network of the future
Since 2010, over-the-counter transactions have declined by around half. In order to continue offering personal advice and direct contact in a digitized world, Swiss Post is working with municipalities, partners and other stakeholders to find future-proof local solutions.
Le Pont at Lac de Joux shows what these solutions could look like. Traditional watch manufacturers operate around the lake, while visitors come to fish, sail and hike. What do locals and tourists have in common? They are both using traditional over-the-counter services less and less frequently – whether at Swiss Post or the regional tourist office. This dilemma led to an interdisciplinary solution in Vallée du Joux: the municipality, tourism organization and Swiss Post worked together to develop a model that would suit the entire community. The regional tourism organization took over the post office in Le Pont and converted the former counter and storage rooms into an open, bright space with a direct view of the lake. Today, Le Pont is home to a branch with partner that serves both worlds, combining postal services with tourist offers. The branch is also a boutique, a pop-up store and a meeting place that attracts tourists and Swiss Post customers with its significantly longer opening hours.
The special thing about Le Pont is that the initiative came not from Swiss Post, but from the region itself.
A balanced mix of different contact points
There are now over 1,200 branches with partners across Switzerland, integrated into village shops, bakeries and municipal administrations. They are a cornerstone of Swiss Post’s strategy and, along with self-operated branches, ensure that Swiss Post can offer its services throughout Switzerland. This dense network of physical contact points helps the company stay relevant to people and companies in Switzerland. For this reason, Swiss Post invests wherever it is needed and wherever its customers will receive the greatest benefit. This is done proportionately and in close consultation with local stakeholders. The aim is to achieve a balanced mix of different access points – from self-operated branches to branches with partners, and from the home service to digital solutions.
Online is the new normal
As part of the ongoing development of the postal network, Swiss Post is also investing in modernizing its own branches and in offering new formats and technologies. This evolution is necessary because digitization is changing the way customers do business. Online services have become the norm. One of the new formats for targeted customer query processing is video consulting, where customers receive advice from Swiss Post employees via video call. Swiss Post is testing this type of consultation in selected branches and branches with partners − and now also at selected My Post 24 terminals. At peak times in branches, video counters can help to reduce waiting times and improve the customer experience.
This is how Swiss Post is continuing to develop its network – in a customer-oriented, flexible manner and tailored to the needs of today and tomorrow.
The postal network at a glance
- Swiss Post will continue to offer a dense network of staffed access points. By the end of 2028 at the latest, the branch network is expected to consist of around 600 self-operated branches and around 1,200 branches with partners. Swiss Post also uses the home service to fulfil its universal service obligation.
- The development of the access point network is a key element of the Group strategy.
- Swiss Post combines physical presence with digital services and hybrid consultation formats to reach customers right where they carry out their transactions.
- Opening up self-operated locations to service providers and public authorities creates shared contact points that strengthen regional presence.