International parcel delivery company Venipak announced that the group’s turnover for 2023 reached €101 million. In addition to the establishment of its own network of parcel terminals and its rapid expansion in the Baltics, the company has also actively started to develop a business line focused only on e-commerce. Venipak Estonia has also appointed a new CEO, Deniss Osman, who previously served as Barbora.ee CEO and as Regional Manager at Bolt.
Last year, Venipak continued to strongly develop its network in the Baltics, and by the end of 2023 there were 270 new, modern parcel machines in Lithuania, 200 in Latvia and 160 in Estonia. “Since 2020, we have been actively developing our network of parcel machines and have already invested more than €5 million. Our first market was Lithuania, then we entered Latvia and last year we completed the expansion in Estonia. This brought all three countries together into a single integrated network, making delivery even faster and more convenient. We are not stopping at what we have already done, but at the beginning of this year we have made further improvements to meet the needs of the markets and the habits of consumers,” says Justas Šablinskas, CEO of Venipak. He adds that ordering parcels to vending machines is becoming an increasingly popular delivery option.
During this year, Venipak plans to expand its network in the Baltics to 800 parcel machines. The company will install 30 new parcel machines in Estonia and add additional boxes to 50 existing ones, and 115 new machines and 75 additional boxes in Lithuania. To this purpose, Venipak will invest a further €1.5 million.
Helping e-commerce businesses grow
According to Šablinskas, 2023 was a particularly significant year for the group’s expansion outside the Baltics – the Dutch e-commerce wholesaler, acquired last year, now operates under the name of Venipak Commerce.
The choice of a new market for the expansion was targeted because the Benelux e-commerce industry, dominated by the Netherlands, is thriving, with 74% of all internet users in the region buying online, 10% more than the European average.
“With this move, we are changing our business model – we are now an e-wholesaler, not just a courier company. This business niche has great potential not only in Europe, but in the whole world, where it is still to fully develop. For example, most e-shops still work directly with suppliers and manufacturers, while we want to offer them the best local solution with fast delivery anywhere in Europe within 24 hours”, says Šablinskas.
Focus on strengthening teams, new leader appointed for Venipak Estonia
Employees also play a role in the implementation of business plans, which is why Venipak also focuses on each team and strengthening their competencies. Over the past year, Venipak’s team has grown by 11% and almost 13% of employees have moved up the career ladder within the company.
According to Šablinskas, there is also a strong focus on managers. At the beginning of March, Venipak Estonia elected a new manager, Deniss Osman, who previously served as head of Barbora.ee and head of the Bolt region.
“In our Latvia, Estonia and Netherlands units, we have independent managers who are responsible for local teams and specific objectives. In addition, last year we created the position of Head of International Business Development, filled by Sabina Bačiulienė, who has extensive experience in e-commerce. She will be responsible for the development of the e-commerce business line, synergies across all services and the development of a comprehensive order fulfilment service in Europe, while striving for exponential growth,” Šablinskas described.
According to Deniss Osman, Venipak Estonia’s goal this year is to continue to expand and grow its business. “The current economic environment requires even greater customer focus and closer cooperation with partners to ensure our market position and growth. We will continue to invest in expanding our network of parcel terminals, which will allow us to both increase volumes and offer even greater value to our customers through more competitive pricing,” said Osman.
Šablinskas adds that Venipak will continue to change its approach to e-commerce logistics this year, offering integrated solutions tailored to the needs of the sector. In doing so, the company will focus on automation, increasing efficiency and ensuring a pleasant customer experience.