Overview
- DHL CEO Tobias Meyer, who said Monday that daily nationwide letter delivery on its own no longer works, outlined a shift to link mail to the parcel network.
- Letter volumes fell 7% in 2025 and dropped 13% year over year in Q1 2026, and the company said parcel growth did not fully offset lower mail volumes and higher transport and labor costs.
- Regional spokespeople said six‑day delivery continues for now, and the share of combined letter‑and‑parcel routes is set to rise from about 70% today to 90% by 2030.
- Since 2025, next‑day letters are no longer the norm in Germany, with delivery targeted within two to three days, which means fewer dedicated mail rounds and wider delivery windows for households.
- Meyer ruled out spinning off the letter unit and called for rules that support the bundled model, and reports say the company plans to formally adopt the DHL name around September 1.