DPD Ireland

DPD Ireland: courier and parcel delivery across Ireland

DPD Ireland is a company dedicated to parcel distribution with coverage across the island of Ireland. Its head office is located in Athlone, County Westmeath, and it operates a network of 38 depots, with at least one in every county. The company presents itself as Ireland's largest dedicated parcel delivery operator and states that it handles more than 40 million parcels a year.

History and evolution

The company was founded in 1986 under the name Interlink Ireland Ltd, with 10 depots and a central distribution hub in Athlone. In 2000 it became part of GeoPost S.A., the parcel and express division of La Poste, the French postal service. In 2006, following an investment of €18 million, it opened a new logistics centre and head office in Athlone. In 2008 it adopted the DPD brand, aligning itself with La Poste's European delivery network. In 2016 it doubled the size of its hub and tripled its sortation capacity thanks to the addition of a Beumer cross belt sorter and a Van der Lande shoe sorter.

Sending and receiving services

DPD Ireland offers parcel shipping services, collection from home, real-time tracking and delivery with a one-hour time window. The company also facilitates delivery management through its myDPD platform, which allows a shipment to be rescheduled or redirected according to the recipient's needs. For returns, it offers the Drop2Shop service, with almost 600 pickup points across the island, open seven days a week. In addition, it has a network of more than 1,000 DPD Pickup points for sending, collecting or returning parcels.

Business solutions

The company serves both individuals and businesses. For the business segment, it offers low-cost shipping services, affordable returns, bulk shipping, international distribution, collection services and storage and fulfilment solutions. It also has specialised services such as Receipt Return and Swapit, aimed at managing product returns and exchanges. The company specifically targets SMEs and startups, as well as large companies.

Technology and tracking

DPD Ireland has invested close to €3 million in delivery solutions. Its technological features include notifications with a one-hour delivery window, same-day redirection or rescheduling of deliveries, picture proof of delivery and simplified returns via Drop2Shop. The company holds ISO 27001 certification in data protection. Its automated sortation system, using Beumer and Van der Lande technology, allows it to handle a high volume of parcels efficiently.

Sustainability

The company has launched initiatives to reduce its environmental impact. Since 2021 it has allocated €4.6 million to decarbonising its fleet, with the goal of reducing CO2 emissions per parcel by 90% by 2030. It has more than 100 vans equipped with air quality sensors and two buildings powered by solar energy. Its Athlone hub generates renewable energy and several depots take part in the Green Flag project. It also monitors air quality in real time.

Depot network and pickup points

DPD Ireland operates 38 depots distributed across the island of Ireland, managed by local teams. Its head office is in Athlone. The company also has a network of DPD Pickup and Drop2Shop points, totalling more than 1,000 locations in the country. These points allow customers to send, collect or return parcels with extended opening hours, Monday to Sunday.