PostNL announces new strategy

PDF press release (EN)

Breakthrough 2028

PostNL today announces its new strategy and vision. The company will present the new strategy and its 2028 financial ambition at today's Capital Markets Day. PostNL aims to grow its business, create sustainable value, lead through innovation and make an impact that truly matters. With this strategy, PostNL is entering a new chapter in its transformation. The company is confident that its strategic choices will not only strengthen its market position but also create sustainable value for customers, consumers, employees, shareholders and society at large.

Highlights

• 'Connected to deliver what drives us all forward': grow business, create sustainable value, lead through innovation and make impact that matters
• New business segmentation as of 1 Jan 2026: current segment Parcels to be split into E-commerce and Platforms
  o E-commerce: from volume to value through differentiatedapproach and smart network utilisation
  o Platforms: capture international growth through asset-light models
  o Mail: transform to a future-proof postal service
• Strategic foundation built on three key enablers: ESG, Data & Tech and Innovation beyond delivery
• Financial ambition for 2028:
  o Revenue > €4,000 million
  o Normalised EBIT > €175 million
  o Free cash flow> €75 million
  o ROIC > 12%
• Capex of around €150 million per year as of 2026 for acceleration of roll-out Out-of-Home (OoH) network at E-commerce and strengthening of the tech & data foundation with AI-driven innovations
• Pay a dividend that develops in line with business performance

Statement Board of Management PostNL

Pim Berendsen, CEO: "We are excited to announce our new strategy, which aims to drive PostNL towards a future of sustainable growth and innovation. We are building on our heritage, trusted brand, consumer-focused platforms, and leverage our digital capabilities, culture, and transformational mindset. Led by our purpose and connected to deliver what drives us all forward, we are committed to grow our business, create sustainable value, lead through innovation and make impact that matters, while taking care of our people and environment.

"Our new strategic ambitions will ensure our position as the leading player in our markets. To enable more effective management of competences and capital, we are splitting the current segment Parcels into E-commerce and Platforms. In E-commerce we will transition from a volume to a value strategy through a more segmented customer approach, differentiated propositions and by intelligently steering volumes, shifting from 'next day' to 'best day' delivery. We also plan to better leverage our strategic assets and reduce network costs. By expanding our OoH network to 3,600 parcel lockers by end 2028, we are making delivery more efficient and enhancing consumer satisfaction.

"At Platforms, operating globally with a strong network of distribution hubs and partner carriers, we want to accelerate international growth by expanding our successful asset-light platforms Spring and MyParcel into new markets.

"At Mail, the current proposal of the government is insufficient and results in a structurally loss-making USO. Therefore, on 5 September, we requested to withdraw the designation for the USO. It is now up to the government to come up with a proposal to secure a future-proof USO. We have always tried to find an acceptable solution via a constructive dialogue and will continue to do so. If that does not lead to the necessary changes in time, we will then take all necessary steps and mitigating measures for an economically viable USO, whilst safeguarding employment for thousands of people.

"PostNL is continuously innovating and moving towards an AI-first strategy. This is already implemented in crucial business domains and we are further scaling up AI usage and capabilities to optimise processes and personalise the consumer experience. Embracing AI will bring new opportunities to leverage on our strong data and tech foundation. While caring for our people, our communities and the environment, we remain a reliable and responsible partner in a rapidly changing world. As such, we are exploring new opportunities by stretching our core. For example, moving beyond delivery to the home where we can bring new energy and sustainability services directly to consumers or new products with AI at the core, all powered by our extensive data foundation.

"To secure a disciplined execution of our strategy, we are seeking improvements in a performance-driven organisation with a transformational mindset. We have identified, among other initiatives, ten strategic portfolio priorities that will enable us to achieve our four clear goals: strong financial performance, improved customer and consumer experience, reduced CO2 emissions, and greater employee engagement."

Linde Jansen, CFO, adds: "Our 2028 financial ambition reflects the strength and scalability of our new strategy. We are focused on disciplined execution, margin improvement and capital efficiency. By investing in smart automation, digital capabilities and network optimisation at E-commerce and Platforms, we are building a resilient foundation for long-term value creation. By aligning structure and processes to our strategic priorities and embedding these in a strong performance management culture, we become more adaptive and move forward, delivering not just parcels and mail, but also sustainable returns for our shareholders and value for customers, employees and society as a whole.”