Cargus recorded an annual growth in volumes of more than 20% în 2020

The first year of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a deep impact in Romanian consumer habits, with many looking to e-commerce and courier services for their shopping, Cargus data shows. Once the pandemic was declared by the World Health Organization on March 11 and a lockdown was instituted in many parts of Europe, most consumers looked to e-commerce as their main source of shopping. Romania was no exception, as volume variations recorded by Cargus show.

Cargus, one of Romania’s leading courier companies, recorded an annual growth in volumes of more than 20%, with some months generating a more than 30% year on year growth. One of the main drivers of growth was the B2C sector, as consumers looked to improve their comfort in the current context.

Deliveries for categories such as Culture, Fashion, DIY, IT&C, Toys and Cosmetics grew significantly in the Cargus portfolio during 2020, with some recording increases of more than 100% in volumes.

„2020 was a rollercoaster ride for the entire courier industry and Cargus made significant investments to accommodate the new normal brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The evolution of the volumes in consumer categories shipments handled by Cargus shows the focus of Romanians on activities possible within the limits set by the current pandemic. With many restrictions in place, they looked to culture, home improvement and telecommunications to improve their lives while waiting for things to get back to normal. Despite the constraints caused by COVID and the high growth in volumes, we managed to maintain the highest quality of service primarily due to investment and strategic focus on timely delivery”, declared Jarosław Śliwa, Cargus CEO.

In order to accommodate volume growth and fluctuations as well as specific COVID-19 protection measures, Cargus invested significantly in improving sorting capacity and in the protection of its own employees and clients. Two of the key investments made by Cargus in 2020 are the Dragomirești-Deal warehouse, a €7,000,000 investment, and €4,000,000 investment in logistics and IT&C updates.

The company was the first to introduce a contactless delivery solution in the courier industry in Romania and to launch a PrePaid service, a solution designed to offer more predictability to local SMEs.

„As the majority shareholder of Cargus, we are very proud of how the Cargus team has managed through these difficult times, with primary focus on safety and quality. We are committed to supporting Cargus’s growth, which will be achieved through innovation and leadership in quality of service. We will make significant investments to further strengthen our position in the Romanian market.”, commented Kerim Turkmen, Partner at Mid Europa Partners.