GDANSK (Reuters) -Polish state-controlled refiner Orlen on Friday signed an agreement with state-owned postal service Poczta Polska, aiming to build a network of more than 30,000 parcel pickup and drop-off points.
The venture would combine the parcel lockers of Orlen Paczka, the refiner’s courier unit, with Poczta Polska’s infrastructure.
“This project with Poczta Polska is a natural step towards building a strong, domestic logistics operator,” Orlen CEO Ireneusz Fafara said in a statement.
Poczta Polska will initially acquire a minority stake in Orlen Paczka.
Poczta Polska’s parcel lockers will then be integrated into the joint business, with the postal service eventually having the option to purchase all of Orlen Paczka’s shares.
The combined entity will compete directly with market leader InPost, which has been facing rising competition including from e-commerce giant Allegro as it rolls out its own network of lockers.
Orlen Paczka currently has more than 14,000 service points, including about 7,000 automated parcel lockers, while Poczta Polska has a network of over 20,000 points, including post offices and partner retail locations.
(Reporting by Julia Kotowska and Anna Pruchnicka; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
