DHL eCommerce is among the leading logistics companies with the greatest impact on the Polish economy

The report’s conclusions also indicate that growing competition and investments favor both consumers and entrepreneurs, increasing the availability of logistics services, stimulating trade and positively influencing service prices.

ZDG TOR emphasizes that when assessing the contribution of the courier industry to the national economy, many factors should be taken into account: taxes paid (CIT, VAT), ZUS contributions, salaries, operating costs, services commissioned to couriers, as well as investments. The financial and economic analysis of leading companies in the courier industry showed that DHL eCommerce is among the leading companies that have the greatest positive impact on the development of the Polish economy.

The courier industry really strengthens the Polish economy

The added value of the courier industry activities amounted to PLN 24.7 billion in 2024 and an estimated PLN 27.2 billion in 2025, which corresponds to approx. 0.75%. GDP. In direct terms, this result is influenced by the growing revenues of companies – from approximately PLN 17 billion in 2022 to over PLN 23 billion in 2025 – and the related budget revenues. In 2024, courier companies paid approximately PLN 4.8 billion in VAT, and in 2025 this amount may exceed PLN 5.3 billion. The sector also contributes to public finances through ZUS contributions and personal income tax, which in 2025 will reach approximately PLN 1.8 billion.

The indirect impact is also important – related to expenditure on services, energy, fuels and infrastructure – which drives subsequent sectors of the economy. In turn, the induced impact results from employee salaries – in 2025, almost PLN 2.3 billion went to employees of courier companies. The report also indicates a catalytic impact, visible in the long-term impact of the sector on the development of e-commerce and trade. An example is the growing scale of international shipments – in 2024 their number reached 56.4 million compared to 39 million in 2022 – which shows the role of the industry in the development of exports and the expansion of Polish companies on foreign markets.

– Reducing the impact of the courier industry solely to income tax (CIT) is a simplification, because in the phase of intensive development it is primarily investments and the VAT stream that constitute the strongest impulses for economic growth. This is a classic multiplier effect: every zloty invested by courier companies in modern sorting centers or parcel machines has a much stronger impact on the economy than a static transfer, e.g. from income tax. It is safe to say that each package ordered actually supports the Polish economy – comments Adrian Furgalski, president of the management board of the TOR Economic Advisory Team.

The investment outlays of courier companies in Poland in 2025, which amounted to approximately PLN 1.7 billion, and in the years 2022–2024 exceeded a total of PLN 4.7 billion, prove how strong an impulse for the economy investments are. These funds go to, among others: to the construction, industrial and technological sectors, driving the development of logistics infrastructure and the entire e-commerce base. One of the most active investors on the Polish logistics market is DHL eCommerce Polska, which has intensified its investment processes in recent years and today is on the podium among the courier companies that invest the most in the country.

– We have been consistently investing in Poland for many years. In the years 2022-2024, we allocated 17% of our revenues to investments – the highest amount in the industry. In 2025 alone, our capital expenditure in Poland amounted to PLN 329 million, focusing on modern logistics centers and the expansion of the OOH (Out-of-Home) network. We currently manage a network of over 8,000 DHL BOX 24/7 parcel machines, and our development plans remain ambitious – by the end of 2026 we want this number to increase to 10,000 devices, responding to the growing market needs. In the coming years, we will maintain a high pace of investments – comments Agnieszka Świerszcz, CEO at DHL eCommerce Polska.

– However, our investment activities are much more than infrastructure development. We work with thousands of small and medium-sized companies, building ecosystems with partners that support local businesses. We are proud that we have been an accelerator of economic development for many years, enabling e-commerce in the country and opening new foreign markets for our Polish entrepreneurs. – he adds.

The greater the competition, the better for the consumer

The report notes that the image of the courier industry is gradually changing. New players are growing on the market, developing their own infrastructure: networks of parcel machines, collection points and logistics facilities. This translates into increased competition and greater availability of services.

One of the most important conclusions of the report is a clear relationship between the level of competition on the courier market and delivery costs incurred by online store customers. The authors analyzed the offer of over 1,700 e-commerce stores and compared the prices of delivery services depending on the number of operators available in a given store. If the store cooperates with only one operator, the average delivery cost is approximately PLN 17. As the number of available suppliers increases, the price systematically decreases, and in stores offering the services of seven operators, the average delivery cost is less than PLN 11.

Competition affects not only prices, but also the availability and scope of services, a wider selection of delivery methods, shorter delivery times and greater flexibility in receiving parcels. In 2024, there were 51,714 parcel machines in Poland, and in 2025 their number already exceeded 66,000. devices. DHL eCommerce makes a major contribution to the development of infrastructure – at the end of 2025, the company already had 8,220 DHL BOX 24/7 parcel machines and 16,000 POP collection points.

– The results of the analysis show very clearly that competition in the courier services market translates into real benefits for consumers and entrepreneurs. The greater the choice of logistics operators, the greater the pressure on prices and quality of services. This is especially important in the context of the dynamic development of online trade, which is today one of the main growth engines for the courier industry. In practice, we are dealing with an increasingly stronger ecosystem connecting e-commerce with retail trade through logistics operators. In such a model, each of these industries mutually drives its own development – summarizes Adrian Furgalski, president of the management board of the TOR Economic Advisory Team.

E-commerce, logistics and trade ecosystem

The value of the e-commerce market in Poland in 2025 is estimated at approximately PLN 140 billion, and the growing scale of online sales makes logistics one of the key elements of customers’ shopping experience. The so-called convenience, i.e. the ability to choose the form of delivery best suited to the lifestyle and shopping habits of consumers, from home delivery, through collection at partner points, to parcel machines, as well as an easy and quick returns process.

An increasingly stronger ecosystem of cooperation between the e-commerce sector, logistics operators and retail is being created around e-commerce. This model supports both Polish business: online sellers and local collection points, as well as consumers themselves, who gain greater choice and convenience of delivery. The development of a network of collection points in stores and service points is of particular importance. An example of such a model is the activity of DHL eCommerce, which develops a network of vending machines and collection points in cooperation with trading partners, including: Żabka, Biedronka and Kaufland. As the report indicates, picking up a parcel at a local store very often involves additional purchases that would not take place if the parcel was ordered for home delivery or to a parcel machine. In this way, the development of e-commerce logistics also supports local trade.

Prospects for the development of the courier market

The development of the courier industry in the coming years will be closely related to the further growth of online trade. The conclusions of the TOR report indicate that maintaining market competitiveness, investing in logistics infrastructure and developing new technologies will be key to further strengthening the e-commerce ecosystem in Poland. The growing scale of online shopping will also require further investment in last-mile delivery infrastructure. From the consumers’ point of view, this means a greater choice of delivery methods, increasing convenience of online shopping and further improvement in the availability of logistics services.

Full content of the report: www.zdgtor.pl