Sweden’s post office implements changes

By Christer Brunström

Since 2000, the volume of letter mail handled by Postnord, the Swedish postal service, has gone down by some 50 percent. This is due to the rapid digitization of society with the introduction of digital mailboxes. Also most Swedes tend to communicate with cell phones or through Facebook and other similar digital platforms. However, one in 10 is not part of this modern trend.

A digital mailbox can be accessed using your computer and cell phone. This is where customers can receive invoices or statements from banks, insurance companies, local and national government agencies and the like. The service is free, but you need to request your own digital mailbox that can only be accessed using your security code.

Proponents of digital mail claim that it is far more environmentally friendly than traditional letter mail, but I am not sure that is the case. I rather think this is an excuse for banks and other businesses to reduce their costs.

Postnord has had to adjust to this new situation, and in 2021, it introduced every-second-day deliveries in certain parts of the country. Daily Monday-to-Friday deliveries ended in my part of Sweden on Jan. 31, 2022. I don’t recall when Saturday mail deliveries ended, but it must have been a very long time ago.

This means that letter mail is only delivered on Monday, Wednesday and Friday the first week and on Tuesday and Thursday the following week. This still meets the legal obligation of delivering 95 percent of all letter mail within two business days.

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